Cecile Edith Klein, Canada's oldest person, has passed away at 114
Montreal-born centenarian Cecile Edith Klein passed away peacefully on Thursday, Jan. 13. Born in 1907, she lived through many of society's most defining events. At the age of 114, she was the oldest living Canadian.
She was born in the summer, June, to Louis Efros and Rebecca Pearson. The same year, Sigmund Freud first met Carl Jung in Vienna, the original metered taxi took to London’s streets, and, for the first time ever, music played on the radio.
She was known for her love of music and theatre. She also loved to learn. She spent many hours with the Cote St. Luc Drama Society, and attended Mini-Med lectures at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital.
“At the age of 111, Klein could still read the newspaper without glasses, and she did,” read her death notice.
Klein was an avid traveller. Her late husband, Erwin Klein, who passed away in 1999, was her companion, and their grandchildren later joined them on worldly adventures. At the age of 102 and 103, she went on two cruises, one to Alaska and one in Mexico.
On June 18, 2021, she celebrated her 114th birthday in Montreal's west-end city of Côte Saint-Luc. On that particular day, she wore a small bejewelled plastic crown, sunglasses, a bright red shirt with a 'Birthday Girl' pin and was kept warm with blankets and pillows while her family gathered to celebrate her birthday.
She was beloved by her community.
"Our deepest condolences to the entire family on the passing of Cecile. She was such an inspiration to us all," wrote Mitchell Brownstein, the mayor of Côte Saint-Luc, in an email to community members.
"Celebrating her birthday at our annual Cote Saint Luc Dramatic Society musical productions each June was a highlight," he continued. "She was always smiling and positive enjoying Hairspray, Catch Me if You Can, and other shows."
Cecile is survived by her three children and their spouses, her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, of whom there are too many to name.
Her funeral will be closed to the public.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Services Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Taylor Swift's new album allegedly 'leaked' on social media and it's causing a frenzy
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.