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GEORGE NICHOLAS FORZLEY
Date of Passing: Jun 14, 2024
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryGEORGE NICHOLAS FORZLEY
On June 14, 2024, just two days shy of his 84th birthday, our beloved George passed away peacefully.
George was born in the Bekaa Valley in Karaoun, Lebanon. At age eight, he boarded a ship with his parents, Marie and Nicholas, and his sisters, Violette and Georgette, bound for their new home in Winnipeg, Canada.
He spent his early years downtown on Agnes Street - shining shoes as a teenager, and later working as a surveyor in northern Manitoba in his 20s.
To say George had an entrepreneurial spirit would be an understatement. In the 1970s, he began his journey as a businessman when he and his cousin Sidney bought Davis Cleaners on Sherbrook Street, which they ran for many years.
In 1980, he and Sidney made a bold move: they transformed the dry cleaning shop into Cedar Bread Factory. Using his mother’s recipe, and with the help of many family members, they began baking the first pita bread in Western Canada. It was both a business and an expression of cultural heritage brought to life in Winnipeg, in which George took great pride.
He went on to invest in many more ventures, including the Kirkfield Hotel in Winnipeg.
George was sharp with numbers and had a keen eye for the stock market. He followed it with enthusiasm and had the patience to weather its ups and downs. He took his wins and losses with the same dry humour he brought to everything else.
In the 1980s, a romance blossomed with his love, Kathy. They became an item in 1984, married in 1991, and welcomed their beautiful son Casey into the world the following year.
In his retirement, besides helping raise his son, he loved to take road trips across Canada and the USA. He loved how the landscapes slowly transformed as he drove, and always said, “When you fly, you miss everything!”
He enjoyed his garage! He liked the challenge of fixing things and especially loved building with wood. He loved working in the yard and took pride in his famous apple tree, whose bounty he shared with everyone.
George had a feisty personality, a sharp, unmistakable brand of humour, and a philanthropic heart.
He was a loving, caring, and considerate man with a generous spirit who donated quietly and often to those in need.
Thank you to the nurses and aides at St. Boniface Hospital who helped with George’s care, with a special thanks to Angelica.
George is survived by his wife, Kathy; his son, Casey (Hailley); his sisters; and many loving nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
We miss you so much, George!
Donations in George’s memory can be made to the Wilderness Committee and Rossbrook House.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 14, 2025