Memorial donations may be made to the United Jewish Appeal of Greater Toronto 416-631-5685.

The following eulogy was written by Joshua’s sister, Sary Manor:
My brother Joshua was a good soul. There was something very soft and kind in his manner, his face. He was also an optimistic soul. He didn’t have an easy life, so it is amazing that he was able to be like that.
Growing up, he was very considerate of me. He was four years older, but he used to include me in the baseball and handball games he played with the neighbours on the street. He was a loving brother, and when we were older, he never tired to tell me how much he loved me.
He was the comedian of the family. Around the dinner table growing up, it seemed to me he had a never-ending supply of jokes. He maintained his sense of humour all his life. He was the ultimate ‘happy camper’, always positive and looking at the bright side of things. Even towards the end, when things weren’t going well, when Jeff asked him how he was feeling, he said better.
He was a big believer in charity, and not being rich, he did a lot of different volunteer work over the years. I remember that every winter he was active in a project that gave homeless people a meal and a place to sleep in churches and synagogues around Toronto. I know he was involved in other charitable activities over the years.
He was a dedicated and excellent salesman for Tilly’s for over 20 years. He enjoyed his work and believed in the excellence of the products he was selling. I remember going to his store and watching him serve a customer, how personable he was, how hard he tried to figure out what was best for that particular person.
He loved culture and even more sports. He would go to concerts, ballet performances. But his biggest love was sports. To my uneducated eyes, it seemed like any sport was interesting to him. Baseball, football, hockey, basketball, car racing, golf. He had season tickets for his beloved Jays, and hardly missed a game if he could help it.
My brother was a gentleman. He wasn’t a judgmental person. He was very accepting of people and situations. In retrospect, this is the quality I most want to remember and honour. He didn’t judge people; he didn’t take sides, but rather offered an alternative behavior. Instead of being angry, Joshua would be accepting, instead of complaining, he would be grateful. It was part of that goodness
His Judaism was very important to him. He loved his little shtiebel in Toronto and when he visited me, he went to our shul and raved about the ruach of our Carlebach minyan. When he retired, he talked about moving to Israel, as he was a Zionist and he loved everything about Israel. But before that could happen, he had that fall that had so many consequences for him.
Living the past years in assisted living, he had his beautiful Gwen to care for him, and he loved her dearly. It was a great comfort for me, living so far away, to know that there was someone so dedicated and caring by his side.
And in these critical last weeks, his former landlord and loyal friend Jeffrey has been 100 per cent there for him, and I have no words for the depth of my gratitude to him for this. Having a friend like Jeffrey says something good about who Joshua was.
I am sorry not to be there. In my mourning, I send love to my dear brother and wish him safe journey. And thank all those who have gathered to honour his memory.