Jeanne Balcaen

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JEANNE BALCAEN

(nee Lavack)

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Jeanne Balcaen, aged 81 years, on Feb. 16, 2020.

She leaves in mourning Louis, her loving husband of 55 years; her children, Paul (Hélène), Donald (Debra) and Jo-Anne (Tim); and her grandsons, Joseph and Alexandre.

Memories of Jeanne will be cherished by her remaining siblings, Edouard, Paul-Guy (Claudette), Dora (Bob), Philippe (Jacqueline), Norman (Marie), Raymond (Lorraine), Pauline, Elaine and Charles. She was preceded in death by siblings Lucille, Lilliane and Norma, and in-laws Denis Saint-Laurent, Bill Caufield and Lorraine Dugas.

She will also be greatly missed by her remaining in-laws, Berthe, Florence, Hubert (Denise), Jean (Armande), Jules (Louise), Yvette (Roland) and Claude (Suzanne). She was preceded in death by Fernand, Georgette, Maria, Maurice, Lina, Domenico Torcutti, Gérard Decelles and Denis LeGal.

Jeanne was born on June 24, 1938, and grew up in Ste Anne, MB, where her parents, Walter and Berthe (Sabourin) Lavack, ran the general store. Her youth provided many happy memories of helping to mind the store, putting on plays with her siblings and taking care of the younger ones when needed.

She obtained her teaching certification at Manitoba Teacher’s College in Winnipeg and taught in La Broquerie, in Churchill, and at Archwood School in Winnipeg. She continued as a substitute teacher in La Broquerie’s elementary and high schools for many years. Jeanne especially enjoyed teaching teenagers; her ability to engage them with her sense of humour made her a favourite among students.

She married Louis Balcaen on Aug. 22, 1964 and settled on the third-generation Balcaen dairy farm north of La Broquerie, where they raised their three children.

Jeanne was very creative and loved learning different crafts such as knitting, sewing, painting and cake decorating. The house was always full of her latest creations. She was an avid cook and wrote “La cuisine de Jeanne,” a recipe column in the town newspaper, Le Papier de Chez Nous.

A highly spirited and sociable person, Jeanne loved to make people laugh. She often got together with friends and family and especially enjoyed day trips with her “Red Hats” group. With her husband Louis, she had many opportunities to travel the globe throughout her life. Jeanne was a woman of deep faith and an active member of her local Catholic church. Her involvement in the La Broquerie community spanned decades and her generous spirit was felt by all.

The Balcaen and Lavack families wish to thank everyone for their love, prayers and support during this difficult time. A celebration of life for Jeanne Balcaen will be held at a later date, to be announced.

As published in The Carillon on Apr 01, 2020