MARTHA GORITZ

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MARTHA GORITZ (nee KUSHNIR) July 5, 1936 - April 27, 2015 Martha journeyed to meet her Maker through the heavenly angels on April 27, 2015 at the Selkirk and District General Hospital (SDGH) while being held in the loving arms of her daughter and surrounded by the love of her family and friends. The Lord replied...."when you saw only one set of footprints it was then that I carried you". Martha was predeceased by her parents Michal and Maria Kushnir, and her brother John. She is survived by her beloved husband Harold (Winnipeg, MB), son Derek (Borger, TX, USA), daughter Sandra (Derek Kufus) (St. Andrews, MB), grandson Justin (Winnipeg, MB), sister Ollie Schroeder, sisters-in-law Lily, Mary and Clara Goritz, and many nephews, nieces and other relations. Martha was born in Trebisov, Slovakia. At the age of two years she immigrated to Canada with her family and settled in Manitoba, originally in St. Anne then Rosewood and later onto Winnipeg, where she met Harold - the love of her life. Together they shared enjoyable, loving and fun filled courtships which lead into a marriage that lasted over 50 years. Martha was an absolutely stunning and beautiful bride; her husband Harold always so proud of her. Her gentle ways, her kind demeanor and her yearning to always do what's right' radiated from her. Martha attended a local one room school house in Rosewood, MB then continued on to Lorette Collegiate, and after graduation she moved to Winnipeg to further her education at Success Business College. Martha embarked on her career as a legal secretary and worked for a number of reputable law firms prior to beginning our family. It was then that she decided to unselfishly put her career on hold to become a stay at home mom and homemaker. At all times she ensured our home was clean and the air filled with the scents of her delicious meals and special deserts. She was actively involved with her children's schools and especially loved volunteering in the libraries. As our children grew older she decided to return to the workplace and held part time positions which included Revenue Canada Taxation Centre and at the age of 51 years, Martha accepted employment with Canada Post where she worked until her retirement at age 65 years. Martha was very proud of our son, daughter and grandson and glowed at any mention of them. Through the years Martha enjoyed several trips to Eastern and Western Canada and also to Texas to visit our son Derek, as well as trips to Western Canada to visit with our daughter and grandson. She especially loved attending as many of our grandson's in and out of province hockey games as she was able. She shared her love for mastering the English language with our children - there was never a need for a dictionary when Mom was nearby - she was always the trusted editor of our scholastic creations and stressed the importance of perfecting the art of penmanship, correct spelling and proper punctuation. Mom loved to dance with her handsome husband at weddings, special events and even at home to The Saturday Night Polka Party'. During quiet times she loved her crossword puzzles, word searches and playing Scrabble. Martha took pride in her kitchen, where she spent countless hours visiting with and entertaining family and friends, all of whom she spoke such kind words of. She loved gardening and proudly manicured her flower beds. Her special place "Gramma's Hippie Hut' was her cottage in Winnipeg Beach, where she felt free yet safe as it was next door to her daughter. She thoroughly enjoyed her time spent there - working on her yard, watering flowers, endlessly pulling weeds and just simply enjoying the peaceful beauty of her surroundings from her own front porch. During her overnight stays she would intentionally wake before Sandra, her signal of raising the blinds meant breakfast was ready, waiting -scents filled the air reaching across the properties. Martha was stricken with Parkinson's Disease for a duration of approximately 17 years, acceptingly and bravely she adjusted to each change it presented her with - unfortunately it increasingly affected her ability to get around' independently. Her devoted husband insisted that she reside in their Southdale home together (along with their puppy Honey'), for as long as possible where Dad attentively and tenderly cared for her with the assistance of her many reliable home care workers. Martha was a loving wife, mother and grandmother and she will be deeply missed by all she knew and met during her life's journey. Her gentle, kind ways enhanced the life of each and every one of those persons. The family would like to extend thanks to those who lovingly cared for her during the time when she or we required assistance, the nurses and health care aides at SDGH and her family and friends who were vigil at her bedside during her final days. Special thanks to Dr. Lindenschmidt SR for working with our daughter and our family to ensure that Martha's care was meticulously managed to ensure she was comfortable, peaceful and cared for with the utmost of dignity. We love you Mom / Martha, always and forever. Funeral service in honour of my dear wife, our mother, grandmother, relative, colleague and friend will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at the St. Bernadette's Parish located at 820 Cottonwood Road, Winnipeg, MB. Burial, followed by lunch will take place at Green Acres Funeral Home & Cemetery located at 1 Green Acres Lane, Springfield, MB (Highway #1 E). Special thanks to pallbearers Justin Goritz, Bruce Schroeder, Derek Kufus, Donovan Knights, Adrian Brown and Robert Flood. We invite all to join us for the burial and fellowship lunch. Martha loved flowers immensely however, in lieu of flowers, she would request donations be made to the Parkinson's Society of Manitoba. On behalf of our dearly beloved Martha....we the family would like to extend our sincere appreciation to those who enhanced her life. Thank you for your friendship, kindness, support and warmth. GREEN ACRES Funeral Home and Cemetery Hwy. #1 E at Navin Road, Winnipeg, MB (204) 222-3241 Condolences may be sent to www.greenacresfuneralhome.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 02, 2015