Lionel Reich

Peacefully on Sunday, August 9th, 2026, in his 96th year. Son of the late Jenny and the late Harry Reich. Beloved father and father-in-law of Erik and Roxanna and the late Dawn, Nancy and David, Jennifer and Steve. Cherished Grandfather of Noah, Aidan, Liam, Ceili, and Derek. Steadfast companion of Hana for more than thirty years.

Born and bred in Montreal, Lionel learned French by reading the advice columns in French newspapers. He was a self-taught polyglot and etymologist and never tired of explaining the origin of any word in various languages. After mourning the disappearance of his hair in his twenties, he then sported a mustache for the rest of his life.

Our father believed that brevity was the soul of wit, and any telephone conversation could be completed in under three minutes. 

An avid philatelist, Lionel spent his life collecting, filling albums, boxes and envelopes with what he referred to as worthless bits of paper. He spent his free time reading newspapers in various languages, studying the stock market, gardening, poring over European history and napping. He loved Israel, and visited for the first time way back in 1955.

A professional napper, he never met a sofa he didn’t like, and could sleep in most any position or time of day.

Despite his hearing deficiency, Lionel pursued his musical passions which led him to compose dozens of songs which he may or may not have plagiarised from others. He burst out into somewhat off-tune operatic singing at any given moment, and banged away on the piano keys on a daily basis. His accordion was pulled out on Sundays when he practised his Italian melodies. 

He was a dependable father and his generous spirit made us very lucky kids. He allowed each of us to pursue our interests and supported us through the good and difficult times. He asked for nothing in return. 

His grandfathering skills were peculiar and common sense didn’t always prevail. Liono made sure that there was always a box of cookies or ice cream and offered treats to his grandchildren regardless of whether they had eaten a meal or not. Zeidy Liono spent countless hours playing Snakes and Ladders or Dominoes with his grandchildren. These tiring escapades often ended up with him napping. 

After toiling away at Reich Brothers for 47 years he then spent 19 very happy years with his companion Hana in Deerfield Beach Florida. He was officially diagnosed with dementia in 2019 and so the absent-minded professor became much more so. His mental and physical decline over the last few years did not take away his unconventional sense of humour. 

We owe a debt of gratitude to Jinky, Jose and Evelyn who cared for Lionel at his residence, and to Sandra Noel who took incredible meticulous care of our father over the last few years. Thank you to the staff at the St. Moritz for their care. Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to the phenomenal staff at Sacre Coeur Hospital. They made his last days comfortable so he could die with dignity.

Funeral service from Paperman & Sons, 3888 Jean-Talon St. W., on Tuesday, August 11 at 11:00 a.m. Burial at Adath Israel Poale Zedek Anshei Ozeroff Congregation Cemetery, de la Savane. Shiva at his daughter’s home. Contributions in Lionel’s memory may be made to Federation CJA at (514) 345-2645 ext. 2600 or click here, or Magen David Adom at (514) 731-4400 or click here.