My dear Aunt Winnie passed away at the beginning of the week, aged 96. Winnie was the daughter of Sasha and Sophie Edelstein, and she married Eric Levy, my father's brother in 1922.
Aunt Winnie was always part of my life. When I was about 6 or 7 years old  Winnie and Eric came to live in Durban, in an apartment a 2 minutes walk from our house. There their eldest, my cousin Sharon was born and I remember helping rock her to sleep in her pram. They later moved to Pietermaritzburg, about 75 kms away, and we saw them regularly. They then went to Upington, in the Kalahari in the northern Cape and I spent some months with them in the late 1950's with the intention of studying law and being articled to Uncle Eric, before I changed direction and decided law wasn't for me.
Doreen and I saw and spent time with Winnie on our trips to South Africa, and we and our children were always grateful for the warmth and love she always showed us.
When we dedicated a Science Laboratory to honour my sister Fern's memory,  it was only natural that Wnnie was present (see picture) and Winnie's visit to Israel in 2010 was an opportunity for one of our family reunions (see picture).
We'll all miss you very much, darling Aunt Winnie!
Our heartfelt condolences go to her three children Sharon, Charles and Cecile, to their spouses Joe, Sheenagh and Raymond, to the Leibowitz, Levy and Cotton grandchildren and to her 7 great grandchild ren.
A few more pictures and links here.