Just short of his 100th Birthday, Hymie passed away after a 4 year battle with dementia. He is survived by his 3 loving children (Louis, Sollie & Esther), their partners (Susan, Susan & Joel), his six grandchildren and their partners (Sara (Gliksman) & Lorne Yuffe, Ben & Marina Gliksman, Daniel Gliksman & Amayah Orenstein, Stephanie (Gliksman) & Warren Garfield, Jordana Ifergan, Allyson ((Ifergan) & Brian Korsman. A significant part of his legacy are eight great grandchildren, Hannah & Jake Yuffe, Rose & Tali Gliksman, Noah Gliksman, Ty Garfield, Asher & Brooklynn Korsman. Also missed and pre-deceased is Elaine Gliksman, a very special part of the family. Not bad for a holocaust survivor who arrived in Montreal, Canada in 1948 with his wife (Chankah) and little else. He worked hard, provided for his family, first by working as a tailor in a clothing factory and then by striking out on his own in the late 1950s to start his own men’s pants factory, Guarantee Slacks.

 

An athlete in his own right when he was a teen in Poland, he enjoyed hockey, but fell in love with baseball when he got to Canada. He enjoyed kicking around a soccer ball with his kids and grandkids & showed no mercy at the ping pong table, regardless who he was playing. He was immensely proud of his children and their accomplishments, and spoke about how talented and successful his grandkids were. His smile lit up, however briefly, when his great grandkids came to visit.

 

He spent 4 years in the worst of concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, and together with some friends managed to stay aIive. He was the last survivor of this group of friends who emigrated to North America. He lost almost his entire family in the Holocaust, but he survived. His story is stored in the USC Shoah Institute. He met his first wife Chankah in a DP camp, made the big move to Canada, had 3 kids, built a business, moved to Toronto, but was devastated when he lost Chankah in 1986. He survived! He met his second wife, Regina Silverstein, and they spent several happy years enjoying Florida and activities together. He lost Regina to a stroke. He survived!

 

At his initiative he moved himself to an assisted living facility where he thrived for seven years. At his initiative he gave up driving, much to the relief of his family. Then he fell, broke his hip and faced a long recovery during Covid. He survived! He spent the last 3 years at Baycrest Hospital, Apotex Centre, Jewish Home for the Aged, where he was well cared for by the staff, and called everyone “darling” despite his sometimes cantankerous nature. The affection they had for him was evident in the number of caregivers who came to say goodbye.

 

He will be desperately missed by his family, and while he is no longer physically with us, his legacy survives in his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

 

There will be a graveside service 1:30 PM on Monday, April 15th at the Zaglembier section of the Bathurst Lawn Memorial Park, 6033 Bathurst St, North York, ON M2R 1Z3.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Apotex – Baycrest Foundation (https://baycrestfoundation.org/) or the Toronto Holocaust Museum (https://torontoholocaustmuseum.org/).