My beloved husband, Norman, was a gitte neshuma who lived a life of devotion and kindness.

Norman was born in 1948 to David Goldberg, who worked in the garment trade, and Evelyn Goldberg (née Richman), a bookkeeper. He, his brother Harvey, and sister Penny grew up in a Jewish neighbourhood on Burrin Avenue in West Kildonan, surrounded by a close family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. His parents worked hard to give their children a good start in life and encouraged them to pursue higher education.

Norman was an excellent student. He was proud to be a member of his school's “Reach for the Top” team, a televised high school quiz show. From his early teens, he knew he wanted to become a physician. His admiration for his childhood pediatrician, Dr. Harry Medovy, and the loss of a close friend to childhood cancer inspired him to pursue pediatric medicine. Years later, while in medical school, he was awarded the Ian Dordick Memorial Scholarship, named in memory of his friend.

Norman worked hard at difficult jobs to support his education. He pedaled an ice cream wagon, did heavy lifting in a fruit warehouse, and washed dishes on a CN passenger train. Happily, that job took him to Expo 67 in Montreal, where he met people from all over the world.

Norman and I had known each other since junior high school. We began dating when he was in his second year of medical school. When he heard that I had suffered an appendicitis attack during my first week of law school, he reached out and invited me to a Gordon Lightfoot concert—something he could ill afford at the time. Over the years, we reminisced that “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was our love song.

We were married in 1971, after his second year of medicine. Norman graduated with a BSc (Med) and Doctor of Medicine in 1972.

Our daughter Aviva was born in 1975, during Norman's pediatric residency at Children's Hospital. He was so proud to be a father that he used Aviva as an example of a healthy child in the “well baby” examinations he taught his students. In 1976, we moved to Denver, where Norman completed a fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at the University of Colorado.

We returned to Winnipeg in 1977. Norman began his community pediatric practice at the Mall Medical Group, a clinic that at the time welcomed Jewish physicians when some other practices did not. Our family grew with the arrival of Amy in 1979 and Daniel in 1982.

Norman quickly earned a reputation as a skilled and compassionate pediatrician. He developed expertise in complex areas including adolescent medicine, pediatric brain injuries, and learning disabilities. These cases required extra patience, collaboration, and time, all of which he generously gave. He kept up with the medical literature and sought new treatments beyond Manitoba when his patients could not get the care they needed at home. In the early 1980s, he arranged for one of his young patients to travel to Pittsburgh for one of the first liver transplants in the world.

Norman was generous with his knowledge as well as his time. He taught at hospitals and at the medical school and mentored residents in his clinic. He became known as a skilled diagnostician. When he joined the Manitoba Clinic in 1993, one of his colleagues affectionately referred to him as the “sage” of the clinic.

He served on numerous hospital teams and committees, including a decade on the pediatric brain injury team. He consulted with and volunteered for many community medical organizations and specialty clinics, including the Rehabilitation Centre for Children, the Mount Carmel Clinic, the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities, the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre, the Learning Disabilities Association of Manitoba, and the Adolescent Gynecology Clinic. He served on child protection committees for the Canadian Paediatric Society and Jewish Child and Family Services. He was a founding organizer and director of Ronald McDonald House.

His volunteer service included leadership roles with his professional organizations, including the Manitoba and Canadian Paediatric Societies, the Manitoba Medical Association, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba. In 1992, he received the Leighton N. Young Award in Community Pediatrics in recognition of his contributions.

Norman did not avoid challenging or controversial issues. He served on the Planned Parenthood board and its Speaker Bureau, working to expand and improve sex education. He believed that schools had a responsibility to address subjects that teenagers might otherwise find difficult to discuss. He also advocated for children with HIV and AIDS. The Manitoba Medical Association appointed him to the Manitoba Education Council on AIDS, where he helped advance AIDS education and develop curriculum guidelines and treatment protocols.

Norman had a special ability to engage children and put them at ease. He spoke directly to them rather than solely to their parents. He would remove his white jacket when necessary. He prescribed his famous “monster spray”—diluted mouthwash in a spray bottle. A quick spray under the bed or in the closet gave many children, and their parents, a good night's sleep.

Norman continued to make house calls when needed long after they were no longer standard practise. Children often showed up at our home to have him look in their ears and throats - children of friends and neighbours and families whose grandchildren were visiting Winnipeg. He never said no.

He was not above the dirty or menial tasks of caring for children. He taught his students, “If you see a dirty diaper, change it”—that is, don't leave it for the nurses or parents.

After spending hours with sick children and troubled families, Norman was grateful for his own children. He often remarked that his work made him appreciate what he had at home all the more. Despite his demanding schedule, he made it home for dinner most nights, even if he had to return to the hospital later to care for a sick child or attend a high-risk delivery.

He was a loving, playful parent who enjoyed costumes and funny hats. He dressed as Moshe to lead a family seder. He spoiled the children with pets—dogs Lulu and Buff, birds, fish, and a remarkably resilient hamster named Quimby. He taught our children both boundaries and forgiveness and was the family peacemaker.

He was grateful and proud to watch his children grow into adulthood and pursue their goals. He took great pleasure as our family expanded to include their partners and our grandchildren.

Aviva became a pediatric nephrologist and ethicist. She lives in Winnipeg with her husband, Greg Di Cresce, and their sons, Sam and Isaac. Amy earned a Master of Education and has expertise in literacy and teaching children with special education needs. She lives in Calgary with her husband, Dan Poxon. Daniel earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a diploma in Graphic Design. He works as a graphic designer and stand-up comedian in Winnipeg, where he lives with his partner, Hilary Bohn.

Sam and Isaac remember many happy times with their Zaide in Gimli and Winnipeg. He loved playing games and practical jokes. On a family cruise, he convinced the boys that their tickets had been paid for because he woke every morning at dawn to help the crew prepare his famous fluffy scrambled eggs for the entire ship.

Norman enjoyed spending time with friends and family. We were fortunate to have many lifelong friends. We travelled throughout Canada and beyond for simchas, holidays, and professional conferences. We had two memorable trips to Israel, including one during which we celebrated Daniel's Bar Mitzvah on Masada. We were grateful to be able to travel to Calgary for Amy and Dan's wedding in 2023.

Norman's pastimes and hobbies engaged his intellect and reflected his curiosity. He took courses in Jewish ethics and was a voracious reader of history and Judaica. He enjoyed photography, Scrabble, and trivia games. When we watched Jeopardy! as a family, we would pretend to be annoyed when he answered just about every question correctly. He never missed his daily crossword puzzle. To relax, he listened to smooth jazz and followed the Blue Jays.

Norman had a deep connection to Judaism and to the Jewish community. He attended synagogue regularly and served on the boards of both the Rosh Pina and the Shaarey Zedek synagogues. He was a leader in the effort to change the Shaarey Zedek cemetery rules to allow interfaith couples to be buried together. His commitment to Tikkun Olam extended to reaching out to the larger world. He helped lead the community's effort to settle refugees from Darfur.

Our children characterized his faith this way: “His was a Judaism that was not Orthodox in practice but deeply rooted in Jewish values, tradition and faith. This led him to good deeds, good words, a good life.”

Norman passed away in 2025 at the age of 76. He leaves behind a family who loved him deeply, a grateful community, and a legacy of compassion and kindness.

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