IRENE LAGACE

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IRENE LAGACE (nee Champagne) August 28, 1922 - May 30, 2009 Peacefully on Saturday, May 30th, surrounded by her family, Irène, passed away at St. Boniface Hospital at the age of 86 years. Irène will be sadly missed by her daughter Lucie and husband Bruce Hewitt; son Denis, wife Mary-Ann and granddaughter Helen; daughter Valerie, husband Cliff Sprague and grandson Dan; daughter Lynne, husband Keith Kilpatrick and grandsons Aaron and Cameron; son Roger and partner Kevin Roche. She also leaves two sisters Denise Normandeau and Claire Bohémier; two brothers Alfred (Jeanette) and Joseph Champagne (Doreen); sister-in-law Vivian (Bibiane) Mann and brother-in-law Gérard Lagacé. She was predeceased by her husband, René, in July of 1996; her parents, Alphonse and Francesca; her brothers, Gustave, Roland and Lucien; and her sisters, Simone Asselin, Florence Asselin, Béatrice Girouard and Lucille Champagne. Irène grew up and was educated in St. Norbert, Manitoba. She attended Normal School and taught in small, rural communities for five years. She married René on July 10, 1948 and moved to a farm in La Salle where they raised their family. After her children were all in school she substituted at the St. Hyacinthe School in La Salle and later worked at the La Salle Credit Union until her retirement. Mom and Dad resided in La Salle until May 1992 and then relocated to Fort Garry. After Dad's passing, Mom moved to St. Boniface. Irène was a kind and loving wife, mom and grandma. Her family was the focus of her life. Few modern-day conveniences made early farm life challenging; but through determination and courage mom persevered. Mom's great faith and love of God were very important to her and these values were conveyed to her family. She was interested in everything her grandchildren did. She enjoyed attending their recitals and concerts or just playing cards and dominoes with them. She sewed, knit and did needlework beautifully. She was an avid reader, enjoyed bingo, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles and the occasional trip to the casino. Irène's family would like to thank Dr. Gupta, Dr. Lévêque, and the dedicated staff of 6A Medicine at St. Boniface Hospital. Funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. in the La Salle Roman Catholic Church. Interment will follow in the La Salle Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, friends and family are invited to make a donation in memory of Irène to the Lung Association of Manitoba, 629 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3A 1P6. Family and friends are invited to sign the Book of Condolences at www.desjardins-funeral.ca. DESJARDINS 233-4949 1-888-233-4949

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 02, 2009