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ERIKA (KATY) SIMONS Obituary pic

ERIKA (KATY) SIMONS

Born: Feb 13, 1911

Date of Passing: Feb 16, 2005

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ERIKA (KATY) SIMONS was born in Amsterdam, Holland on February 13, 1911 and died in Winnipeg, MB on February 16, 2005. She is survived by a sister Euphemia, in Holland; a brother Siebert, in Montreal; and two nieces, Ruth and Renee. Katy was the daughter of a Jewish father and a Mennonite mother, and her long and productive life reflected this heritage. During the Second World War, Katy and other family members risked their lives to save Jewish people from the Holocaust. The Germans imprisoned Katy and after six weeks her mother managed to barter her release by giving a Nazi officer a handcrafted doll. In 2002, Katy was awarded the Righteous Amongst the Nations Award from the Israeli government for her war efforts on behalf of Jewish people. Katy trained in England to be a nurse and came to Manitoba in 1961 to work in the T.B. sanitarium in Ninette. Many of her patients were children from the far north and Katy has been described as their guardian angel. She introduced unconventional treatments such as bringing a cat into the wards. When she was in her 60s, Katy enrolled at University of Winnipeg to pursue her lifelong dream of a university education. She was a vigorous member of many groups, including the Unitarian Church, Veterans Against Nuclear Arms, and the Humanist Association of Manitoba. She advocated strongly for peace and social justice. On her two crutches, Katy participated in the March for Peace every year. A celebration of Katy's life will be held at the Unitarian Church, 603 Wellington Cres. at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 12. Flowers are gratefully declined. Donations in Katy's memory may be made to Amnesty International, the Unitarian Church, Project Peacemakers, Veterans Against Nuclear Arms, Winnipeg Harvest, or another charity of choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 05, 2005

Condolences & Memories (1 entries)

  • I knew there had to be something amazing about Katy. She was my father, the late professor Gerald McVay's, psychology student at UFW in the 1970s and became out family friend. Each year, she would send me a paper Advent Calendar as a Christmas gift. I once remember sitting with her in Assiniboine Park while she made origami birds and other little animals. Katy exuded goodness and kindness for others. After Dad died, this week, I was thinking of old friends (not many left), and Katy came to mind. Reading her biography makes me understand why she was such a special person. We los track of Katy i later years. Let her example and kindness remain with us forever, As we say in the Ukrainian tradition: Vichnaya pamyat! - Posted by: Rev. Dr Athanasius McVay (friend) on: Oct 12, 2023

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