SONIA LAVICTOIRE

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SONIA LAVICTOIRE September 17, 1972- January 1, 2006 Sonia passed away suddenly on January 1, 2006 as a result of a tragic car accident. She leaves her husband Bairn Mooney and her beautiful children, Everett and Oliver, ages 11 and 9. She is survived by her parents, Louise and Andre Lavictoire, brother Simon, his wife Michelle, nephew Samuel, parents-in-law, Gail and Walter Mooney and Brian Holtslag, as well as a large circle of loving friends from near and far. She was very close with her family and friends, and we are all stunned and devastated by her tragic death. Sonia was born in Ottawa and attended both Ottawa and McGill University after high school. She met Bairn at McGill where they began their family and their life together and went on to wed in Jamaica. Sonia and Bairn settled in their home near Libau in 1999. They loved their rural life, and Everett and Oliver thrived in this environment. Sonia was a loving and devoted mother to her children and loved her time spent in hockey rinks, on dirt bikes and hanging out with her boys. She was known to all as generous with her laughter, enthusiasm and praise. In 1998, Sonia began working as a residential care provider for individuals with mental disabilities at the Association for Community Living in Selkirk. Over the years, she welcomed the people she cared for into her family and into her heart. Her lifelong passion was to assist women in childbirth. Sonia was a powerful advocate for women and had a particular interest in rural women. She was a devoted doula and childbirth educator, and was studying to become a midwife through correspondence studies and an internship in Jamaica in 2000. She was a partner in Birth Roots Doula Collective and was instrumental in the growth of this business. She never hesitated to lend a hand, and was a La Leche' League Leader and active volunteer in the childbirth community. Over the eight years she was involved in childbirth, hundreds of babies and parents were blessed by her warm and loving assistance in pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Sonia was also known and loved as a volunteer in the kitchen at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and as a star of the campground, where she and Bairn camped every year with a regular group of friends. For the first time this past year, Everett and Oliver joined them in the campground as well and followed in their mother's footsteps as the life of the party by capturing everyone's hearts. Sonia was an incredible person and we are grateful for the time we had with her. Funeral services to be held at Gilbart Funeral Chapel in Selkirk at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, January 6. Followed by a luncheon at the legion. Sonia's friends have established a trust fund for her children's education. Her family would also like to honour Sonia's commitment to education and support for childbearing women by establishing a fund to be used for low-income mothers. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation either to the Everett and Oliver Lavictoire Trust, or to the Sonia Lavictoire Memorial Trust at any branch of the Assiniboine Credit Union. Gilbart Funeral Home, Selkirk in care of arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 05, 2006