Open this photo in gallery: Former Second World War codebreaker Sylvia Gellman in 2022. During the war, she and her colleagues – many of whom were women – worked in Ottawa to assist a top secret mission: cracking codes and ciphers used in secret and diplomatic communications. Joe Tunney/CBC At 101 years old, Susie Gellman was the focus of attention on August 6, 2022, as she stood beside a plaque unveiled at Laurier House, close to downtown Ottawa. At that moment, Ms. Gellman was probably the only living member of a covert Canadian group from the Second World War. She was definitely the only former member present at this significant commemoration event. The petite woman (4 foot 8, or 142 centimeters) held onto her friend’s daughter for support but otherwise didn’t use any cane or walker. The plaque revealed that day recognized the essential code-breaking efforts carried out by the 80 individuals in what was known as the Examination Unit (or XU) from 1941 until its closure by the federal government at war’s end in 1945. This ceremony in 2022 finally lifted the vow that Ms. Gellman had taken not to disclose details about her unit throughout her lifetime. Mariposa Folk Festival co-founder Ruth Jones-Mc Veigh gave an enduring gift to Canadian music Ms. Gellman passed away in Ottawa on December 22 at age 104 after experiencing a stroke. She was born Sylvia Irene Abelson on May 8, 1921, in Ottawa as the eldest of five children and the only daughter of Jess and Mollie Abelson. Her father worked in insurance and was an outstanding athlete who played “flying wing” for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1910 until 1914. He also participated in basketball, tennis, and curling and became the first inductee into the Ottawa Jewish Sports Hall of Fame back in 1986. Her mother dedicated herself to being a homemaker while also being a caring parent and grandmother. Every year for each grandchild’s birthday, she baked their favorite dessert. Sylvia, known as Susie, went to Lisgar Collegiate Institute before heading off to business school. She had four brothers: Lawrence (who went by “Duke”), Stanley, Alan, and Bobby. Duke got his nickname from a clever play on their family’s home located on Marlborough Avenue in Ottawa; he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940 and went overseas as a navigator with its 418 City of Edmonton Squadron starting from 1942. Open this photo in gallery: The Abelson family in a photo circa 1940. Susie is front row, second from left. Brother ‘Duke’ is in the second row at the far left. Ottawa Jewish Archives He tragically died just one year later at age 21 when his de Havilland Mosquito nightfighter-intruder crashed during training exercises. Duke’s passing hit hard for everyone involved. The family often noted that when he died they lost their mother too; Mollie Abelson never truly recovered from losing her oldest son. The other brothers found success afterward with careers spanning medicine, law, and business fields.</ppIn</ pin</t e x t ” C. B l b o v i m p l o n d i g u e. I N T E R S T I T U T I O N A L ” C H S / P E D O M I N A L S O C I E T Y – C A D U L A L O R F / M O P E M U F F E R , W H Y ¯ ”
