GEORGE STEPHEN MOREAU

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GEORGE STEPHEN MOREAU After an active life George gently passed away at St. Boniface Hospital on Thursday. He was predeceased by his first wife, Muriel, and daughter, Patty DeJong and second wife Mary. He is loved and will be missed by his family, son Brian Moreau (Andrea) daughter Merran Proctor (Dick) grandchildren, Gordon, Monique, Cynthia, Greg, Alexandra, Benn, Josh, Jacquelyn; sister Phylis Hainsworth of Edmonton; and sister-in-law Rhoda Davies. He also had many special nieces and nephews. As George lay on his death bed he expressed the idea that he "was a working man", this in some sense revealed his pride in a life of labour dedicated not to the accumulation of wealth but the "duty" one had to family and community. The sense of a job well done and fairly done was his badge of quiet honour. George was born September 4, 1917 in Edmonton and grew up in the Great Depression to serve his country as a member of the R.C.A.F. as observer/navigator; surviving 33 missions over Europe and Africa. After the war George obtained his Commerce Degree at the University of Alberta and upon graduation began a 30 year career with the Department of National Defence as a Chief Regional auditor and later in Ottawa. During the years Dad suffered many blows but carried on with dignity. His first wife Muriel Bailey later giving birth to three children, contacted polio and was confined to an iron lung for 10 years. Dad worked all day, looked after his children and without fail visited his wife in the hospital daily. He kept our family together through the strength of his character. In 1962 Dad married his second wife Mary McKenzie and they lived happily together until her death in 1998. Our family at this time would like to make the observation that our Dads last years were happy. Life with Mary was everything he wanted. Later he loved his apartment in Catherine Place including the great cooking and the new friends he made there. At St. Boniface Hospital where he spent his last five days he was surrounded by wonderful people - a snapshot of Canadian multicultural kindness at its very best in the helpful caring staff. A special thanks to the people in both these places. Funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, May 28 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Bernadette Parish, 820 Cottonwood Rd. with Rev. Fr. Fred Olds presiding. Interment will follow in Waverley Memorial Gardens, 1501 Waverley St. P. COUTU & CO. Funeral Directors 156 Marion St., 949-4864

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 27, 2003