It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear mother and sister Florence Boucher, in her 82nd year, on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at the St. Joseph’s Hospital in Sudbury, Ont.
Florence was born on September 18, 1924 in Fort Frances to Alcide and Rose-Anna (Chartier) DeGagne now deceased.
Family legend has it that she was so tiny she fit into the drawer of the old Singer treadle sewing machine. She wasn’t expected to live, but true to her spirit she not only survived but thrived.
In her later years she was known to comment more than once: “I’ve had a very good life … I’m amazed at what I’ve done and accomplished.”
She loved learning and was an avid reader. One of her greatest disappointments was to be pulled from school at the age of 12 to care for her brothers and sisters while her mother recovered from a serious illness.
She was the eldest girl with four sisters—Rosanna (Earl Tweedie) and Jeanne (Ed Kaun) of Fort Frances, and the late Evelyn and Marie Louise—and six brothers—Guy (Mae Bodnarchuk) of Selkirk, Man., Alcide (Angele Meilleur) of Gloucester, Ont., and the late Ambrose, Adelard, Charlie, and Thomas.
She fell in love with and married Lester Boucher (parents Regina and Samuel) of Pinewood, Ont. in 1947. After trying to make a living from farming, bush work, and mining they moved on to Sarnia and then Espanola where Lester worked in the paper mill until he retired.
Sadly, the year after their 50th anniversary, Lester passed away in 1998. It was at this point that Florence’s health and heart began to fail.
Florence deeply loved her seven children—Priscilla of Winnipeg, Carol (Ray Massicotte) of Espanola, Beatrice (Ed Smith) of Toronto, Dale (Louise Bergeron) of Sudbury, Allan (Natalie Pelaggi) of Aurora, Mary Lou (Mike Hussak) of Sudbury, and Laurie of Sudbury.
She was a devoted grandmother to 14 grandchildren—Karla, Stephen, Prima, Rob, Brendan, Julia, Jennifer, Justin, Eric, Michael, Megan, Jason, Jonathan and Nikki. And she was a special sister-in-law to Kay Boucher, Mae Triskle, Sister Della Boucher, Lou Blackwell and others now deceased.
She opened her heart and home to all she met and was like a mother to many. She was a shoulder to cry on and a friend to laugh with. She loved nothing better than a family gathering with good food and lots of laughter. She couldn’t live without her garden, and delighted everyone with her tasty soups and stews, raspberry and blueberry pies, and the best tortiére in town. She insisted she couldn’t sing, but did all she could to nurture the love of music in her children.
She was a skilled seamstress with a passion for designing and making beautiful clothing for her family, friends and customers. She owned and operated a fabric and dressmaking shop for many years and her artistry was widely recognized in the region. She was a teacher and mentor to many wanting to learn her craft.
She also was an active supporter of the Espanola Little Theatre and generously donated to all who needed support.
Florence was an elegant lady—a woman of great courage, determination, creativity and kindness. She was never one to back down from life’s challenges (and there were many).
Nor was she one to pass up an adventure—she’d give anything a try once. She loved to travel and never turned down a chance for a trip to new and familiar places. The summer of 2005, she delighted in a visit to rural Quebec and the discovery of family roots in Ile-aux-Coudres in the Charlevoix region. She was planning to move to Winnipeg to live with her eldest daughter Priscilla and be closer to her extended family. Unfortunately, her mind and spirit were stronger than her body. She failed to fully recover from open heart surgery in March and passed away at the end of May surrounded by her children.
Florence was longing to return “home” to her roots. To honour her wishes, her ashes will be buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery in a ceremony to be held Friday, August 11 at 2 p.m. Family and friends are welcome.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
