Community activist.
Born at Norwood on 26 February 1916, daughter of Rose Cohen (c1887-1981) and Meyer Moscovitch (1885-1965), she attended Norwood Collegiate then entered the University of Manitoba at the age of 15, graduating four years later with the University Gold Medal in Science. On 28 June 1936, she married Percy Genser and they had two daughters and a son. She later married Samuel Kaplan (?-2005) at Boston, Massachusetts.
In 1963, she was appointed to the Board of the Manitoba Centennial Corporation and headed two of its committees: the building of the Errick F. Willis Pavilion and the federal-provincial Centennial Train and Caravan project. She also served on the Manitoba Arts Council and on boards of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (Vice-President), Children's Hospital, Shaarey Zedek Synagogue Sisterhood (President), and International Organization of the Women’s League (Vice-President). She was the founding Manitoba representative on the National Arts Centre and national Vice-President of the National Women's League of United Synagogues of America.
She died at Palm Springs, California in June 2011.
Obituary [Meyer Moscovitch], Winnipeg Free Press, 29 January 1965, page 24.
“Name Mrs. Percy Genser '65 woman of the year,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 February 1966.
“Poise, charm, persuasion join trust company board,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 May 1967.
Obituary [Rose Moscovitch], Winnipeg Free Press, 9 January 1981, page 48.
Obituary [Esther Genser Kaplan], Winnipeg Free Press, 8 June 2011.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 27 January 2023
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
