As I got out of the house for a walk today, the rain started to come down on me. It was lukewarm. I endured and kept going, thinking of her. As it came down harder, I was soaked from head to toe. And then it hit me… Heaven was not showing me the sadness of Johanne’s premature departure; it was showing me the amount of love that she had for me and was continuing to pour over us all – billions of little droplets of love hitting me and everything in sight, I thought to myself. Towards the end of my walk, the rain stopped and the sun looked like it wanted to peak out, drape and dry me with its warmth, just like a soft blanket wrapping a loved one…
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Our hearts ache for the passing of our loving, warm and generous Johanne who left us Friday August 31st, 2018 at age 57 after an arduous battle with cancer. She will be profoundly missed by her husband Michel Cloutier and daughter Laura Cloutier, as well as by her parents Claude Bélanger and Pierrette Dubois, sister Hélène (Damiao Santos), brother Dany (Lisa Bédard), in-laws Benoit Cloutier and Pauline Villeneuve, her sisters and brothers in law, nieces and nephews, and extended family of global friends who were close to us.
Johanne touched everyone she met in a unique and loving way. She showcased extraordinary generosity and selflessness – she will always be remembered for her giving and sharing with friends and the less fortunate. She was a teacher and coach at heart, and always ready to problem-solve. She also loved tending to the gardens surrounding our home, traveling and cooking with and for her family and friends; she was always especially welcoming and an incredible hostess. So much attention to detail, love, and care went into everything she cooked and presented to her guests, always making it look so easy. Johanne will also be particularly remembered for her resilience as she battled Crohn’s disease since her adolescence, and cancer since 2016. Her strength and courage allowed her to put these aside almost every day to live life to the fullest.
Johanne, Laura and I also wish to extend a special thank you to the surgical, gastro-intestinal, medical and radio-oncology teams as well as palliative care, nursing, PABs, housekeeping and CanSupport teams of volunteers at the Royal Victoria Hospital for the extraordinary quality of care and support during her extended stay.
Our family invites you to Johanne’s celebration of life at St-Joachim Church, 2, rue Ste-Anne, Pointe-Claire (Qc) H9S 4P5, on Tuesday, September 11th, 2018 from 12 noon to 2 p.m., followed by the funeral mass at 2 p.m. A reception will follow at Maison Trestler, 85 de la Commune, Vaudreuil-Dorion (Qc) J7V 2C3, at 4 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cedars Can Support or to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Belanger Johanne
August 31 2018..
Décès pour la Ville: Kirkland, Province: Quebec
Mes sympathies à toute la famille. J’ai travailé avec Johanne à l’école Marguerite-Bourgeoys quand elle était bénévole à l’école que sa fille fréquentait.
Pierrette Sauvé