Sheldon Oberman

Sheldon Oberman (BA 1972), who passed away in March 2004, was an award-winning author, storyteller, philosopher, teacher, and artist. A student member of The University of Winnipeg Cubiculo Theatre Lab in the 1970s, his artistic ability overwhelmed his soon to be life-long friend, children’s entertainer Fred Penner. Penner describes his friend as “truly multifaceted.  Everything he did had a wonderful creative, unbridled sense to it.”

For nearly 30 years, Oberman taught English and Drama.  For countless numbers of high school students who passed through the doors of the Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate, Oberman was one of those unforgettable teachers whose lessons take root and flourish.  A former student described him as “the kind of teacher you wanted to listen to…an inspiration.”

Outside the classroom, Oberman was best known as an award-winning author.  He published a dozen books and wrote scripts for film, television, and radio.  Among his most popular books are those written for children, including The Always Prayer Shawl, The Wisdom Bird, and The Shaman’s Nephew, which was nominated for a Governor General’s Award in 2000.

In honour of Oberman’s lifetime of excellence as both a teacher and an author, he was the posthumous recipient of the Fall 2004 University of Winnipeg Distinguished Alumni Award.