LUCILLE COUTURE (BOUCHARD)

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LUCILLE COUTURE (nee BOUCHARD) April 24, 1918 - June 13, 2012 As members of the family of Lucille Couture we are saddened to announce our loss. Mom passed away peacefully in the early hours of June 13, 2012 at the Misericordia Health Centre surrounded by her family and enveloped in love. It feels like the sun must be shining a little less brightly today. The world has lost a remarkable woman, one who lived life with great compassion, generosity, and kindness and who died with dignity and grace. Throughout her life she was a strong role model, demonstrating through her actions how to treat others and how to give of oneself. She was, quite simply, one of the most selfless people you could ever meet and a very loving mother. Lucille was born in 1918 in Saint Boniface and grew up with strong Franco-Manitoban roots. Her parents were Joseph Bouchard and Leonore Guay. As a young woman, she was required to give up schooling earlier than she would have liked to work with her father in his barbershop giving perms while he cut hair. She balanced this with a love of music, playing and teaching piano. In her early 20s she met Etienne Couture and the two were married in 1942. The day after her wedding she and her new husband set off to Fort Frances, Ontario in pursuit of economic opportunity. All six of her children were born there: Julie, Pierre, Jacqueline, Yvette, and the twins Gerald and Gerard. These were difficult years and in the end the entire family relocated to Saint Boniface in 1955. Mom took up work to augment the household income, first at the St. Boniface Hospital followed by the St. Boniface Clinic, then, until retirement, as receptionist and clerk for Dr. Alexander Pan, a man who was always so appreciative of the dedication Mom put into her work. He became a life-long friend of the family. Mom provided for our out-of-school education whether it was learning table manners, understanding expectations of common courtesy, or taking responsibility for elderly neighbours and those less fortunate. Mom also encouraged us to take up music and art while ensuring we were all well versed in kitchen chores and yard maintenance. She was strong and consistent in her values and love shone through every action. Her indulgences were few. She had a passion for travel, motivated by a love of arts and culture. Over the years, she was able to take many trips to far-off places, at times with family, at times with friends. She also found joy in the acquisition of works of art - almost entirely paintings and drawings from Pauline Boutal, a Saint Boniface artist in whose art Mom recognized a remarkable talent and a need to see it nurtured. She was also a long-time subscriber to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Mom was predeceased by her husband Etienne Couture in 1987, after 45 years of marriage. She lost her younger brother Leo Bouchard in 1995 and, earlier this year, her sister Julie Poitras. She will be missed by a multitude of people beginning with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In Julie's family this includes her husband Serge Legault, their sons Mitch (Tracey) and Marc (Jennifer) together with their children Alec and Lauryn. In Pierre's family this includes his wife Simone, their son Alain (Christina) and daughter Ginette (Craig) together with their children Nico, Isabelle, Bailey, and Abby. In Jackie's family this includes her husband Bill Treytiak, their daughter Nicole (Jeff) together with their children Jack and Madeleine, and son Michael (Saori) together with their child Maya. In Yvette's family this includes her husband Doug Schwartz. In Gerald's family this includes his wife Chris and their son Damon. In Gerard's family this includes his wife Billie, daughter Ashleigh, sons Marc and Denis (Gisele) together with their child Gabrielle. Mom outlived most of her generation of family and friends but she will be missed by her sisters-in-law Juliette Hebert and Carol Bouchard; her cousins Eveline Hebert, Ida Appleman, and Marguerite Petit; and her good friends Dr. Alexander Pan, Alice Lavallee, and Sr. Rose Desrochers. Mom had more kindness in her than could be absorbed by her immediate family and several of her nieces and nephews were the recipients. We would like to thank them for the roles they played in Mom's life, especially, Jean-Paul Poitras and wife Emily, Georgette Poitras, Louise Hebert, and Arlette Cousture. We offer thanks to the very thoughtful and caring staff at Misericordia Health Centre 6th floor. Through genuine compassion and dedication, they exhibited all that is good about health care professionals. Our family is also extremely grateful to our eldest sister Julie and her husband Serge who took Mom in to live with them for the past ten years. She could not have received better care, and that gave great comfort to the rest of the family. In the end, we are filled with gratitude for having had such a wonderful Mom in our lives for so long. She will be remembered most of all for her love of her family. She had a knack of making each one of us feel very, very special and she was always our most ardent cheerleader. The wonderful memories we have of her will continue to enrich our lives. According to her wishes, Mom has been cremated and a private family memorial has been planned. If friends so desire, donations in Mom's name may be made to the Winnipeg Harvest, 1085 Winnipeg Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0S2. No flowers please.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 16, 2012