DONALD GEORGE (MECHE) CARIOU

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DONALD GEORGE (MECHE) CARIOU Donald George Meche Cariou passed away peacefully on Friday, August 17, 2012, at the Grace Hospice in Winnipeg at the age of 82. Left to honor his memory are his six children: Chris, Doug (Sandra), Lori (Alec), Lisa (Darren), Shauna (Ken), and Gerry (Kim); his beloved grandchildren Rebecca (Grant), Andrew (Hilary), Monica (Alex), Ben (Alyssa), Emma, Evan, Devon, Rachael, Cole, Justin, Clara, Joshua, Maia, and Matthew. He is also survived by his brothers Gerry (Marilyn), and Len (Heather), his sisters-in-law Audrey and Jeanne and his many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his former wife (and friend) Louise Cariou, his sisters Joan (John Harris) and Bunny (Bob Mills), and parents George and Molly. Born in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, on February 24, 1930, Meche grew up and went to school in Norwood. After graduation, he worked at a variety of jobs, including CN Rail and Co-op Dairies. Meche moved to Canada Post Corporation in the late 1960s, where he worked on the sorting floor until his retirement in 1991. He married childhood sweetheart Louise Cariou in 1955, and after a few years out of province Meche and Louise returned to Norwood to raise their six children, sending them to Holy Cross School, the same elementary school they had attended. Throughout his lifetime, Meche had an enduring love of music and singing, and possessed a marvelous sense of rhythm. His rich baritone voice warmed the room of our many family gatherings, and we will fondly remember the sound of his fingers tapping the beat to the latest Big Band hit record. Although Meche was not overt with his affection and was a man of few words, he was genuine and unpretentious in quietly celebrating the lives of his children. A life-long sports fan and a hockey father if there ever was one, Meche began bringing son Doug to outdoor games at Norwood and Champlain community clubs as early as 1963. As soon as son Gerry was old enough to play, Meche began a 35-year stretch of watching him play goalie, a position in which he himself had excelled as a teenager. Daughter Lori remembers Hockey Night in Canada Saturdays with Meche, and the occasional Grey Cup party that he enjoyed. Daughter Shauna will cherish a life-long tradition of sharing late night cribbage games over a plate of cheese and crackers with our Dad's favorite albums spinning on the turntable. Daughter Lisa notes that Meche had a curious mind and an eloquent writing style, a fact to which anyone lucky enough to receive one of his letters can attest. To this day, son Chris cherishes the carefully articulated words of advice Meche wrote in a journal he gave to him before Chris left on an extended trip to Europe and Asia in the 1970s. Perhaps Meche's defining trait was his generosity and his unique ability to celebrate the achievements of others. His efforts in promoting the accomplishments of brother Len to the Winnipeg media during the early part of his acting career particularly stand out for his children. Our family would like to thank the incredible team at the Grace Hospice where Meche spent some of the most happy and grace-filled months of his life: watching the birds at the bird feeder outside his window for many hours, playing cribbage and eating box after box of Pot of Gold chocolates with his family, fellow residents, and volunteers. The love, patience, and respect shown by the staff for our dad was, and is, an inspiration to us. To Janine, Margaret, Donna, Gaye, Mandy and the entire staff, we offer our deep thanks. Thanks also to Dr. K. O'Keefe and Dr. C. Fotti for their attentive care of Meche over many years, and to Kris and Germaine from St. Boniface Palliative Care. A memorial service will take place on Tuesday, August 28 at 7:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 4588 Roblin Blvd., Monseigneur M. Comeault officiating. A private family interment will take place on Wednesday, August 29. In lieu of flowers, kindly send donations to The Grace Hospital Foundation or The Autism Society of Manitoba.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 25, 2012