Mamie Patricia “Mimi” Gagnon
1922-2019
Gagnon, Mamie Patricia “Mimi”, 97, of Antigonish,
passed away in the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home, Antigonish, on
September 7, 2019.
Born in Québec City, Mimi was a daughter of the
late Napoléon and Eleanora (Pagé) Fleury and
wife of the late Bernard E.U. Gagnon of Vancouver.
Mimi met and fell in love with her future husband when he
came to Québec City to attend the wedding of his sister to
her brother. She was a loving wife, a devoted mother and a
very involved and entertaining grandmother and great grandmother. But
most of all, she was a wonderfully energetic homemaker whose great
achievement in life was providing a warm, safe and caring environment
(without any hired help) for a family of nine which beside the six
children she bore and brought up, also included her mother-in-law, our
Granny Rose. She did all this with her trademark “joie de
vivre” (love of life), her great sense of humour and not least,
her ability to produce the most delicious comfort food on the planet,
and on a daily basis for all nine of us and possibly an extra friend
or two. When asked (often by many different people) how she made
everything taste so good, her standard reply, with a twinkle in her
beautiful almond-shaped eyes, was: “I do it with love and
butter”. Among many other things, we all miss her wonderful
meals!
Mimi was an extremely social and sociable lady, always
managing to make personal connections with everyone she met and liked,
be it her local (and self-designated) cab driver, the owner of her
favourite pizza place, her neighbours, or anyone else she met and
liked anywhere she went.
She was fiercely loyal to us, her family members, regardless
of what situation we may have found ourselves in throughout our lives.
She was always “for us” no matter what. Everything else
could change, but that was always a constant. She had the capacity for
great love and she was, in fact, loved by everyone she met. Her
excitement at receiving our visits knew no bounds and we felt her warm
welcome in so many ways. She was also always ready and willing to help
with all of her generous heart in any way she could.
One of the most common and least remembered forms of heroism
is the heroism of the average mother. Whatever else the world is
not full of, it is at least full of mothers. And
we are all so happy that our world was full of Mimi.
Mimi is survived by her children, Michèle (late
Bill) Murphy, St. Andrews, NS; Andrée (husband Einar)
Stephansen, Trondheim, Norway; Lee Gagnon, Mont Tremblant, PQ; Marc
(wife Karen) Gagnon, Saint John, NB; Carl Gagnon, Montréal,
PQ; and Roderick Gagnon, Vancouver, BC; her grandchildren, Thomas
Murphy, St. Andrews; Marc (wife Emily) Murphy, California, USA; Sarah
Murphy, Halifax, NS, and Toronto, Ontario; and Michael Murphy,
Halifax; Carl Joakim (wife Monica) Gagnon, Oslo, Norway; and Kirsta
(husband Patrick) Arseneault; and Kerry (husband Steve) Swonell,
Victoria, BC; Dylan (wife Melissa) Gagnon, Halifax; and Morgan Gagnon,
London, Ontario; and her great grandchildren Andreas Liodden Gagnon,
Perry Leigh Arseneault, Madison Gale, Parker Gale, Quinn Swonell and
Finn Gagnon.
Mimi is predeceased by her husband Bernard and all her
brothers and sisters, Raymond and Claude Fleury, Marielle Fiset,
Pauline Chapais, Estelle Fleury and Liliane (Lili)
Fleury.
There will be no visitation. A Funeral Mass will be held on
Saturday, September 21, 2019, in St. Andrew’s Church, St.
Andrews, Reverend Andrew Gillies presiding. The burial will be in the
South River Cemetery.
Family flowers only, please. In lieu of flowers,
donations to the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home Foundation or St.
Andrew’s Parish would be appreciated.
Online condolences: www.clcurry.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Mamie Patricia Mimi Gagnon..
Death notice for the town of: Antigonish, Province: Nova Scotia