Pauline Patricia Grandmont died suddenly on August 9, 2003 at her Gillies Lake residence in Coleman Township at the age of 64.
She was born in Harris Township on April 7, 1939 to Joseph Gervais and Blandine Bélanger.
Educated in New Liskeard, she married Marcel Grandmont in New Liskeard on June 21, 1958.
Mrs. Grandmont moved in the summer of 1996 to Gillies Lake from Elk Lake where she had lived most of her married life, some 30 years.
Mrs. Grandmont was born and raised on a farm, one of the older members of a large family. She learned at a tender age what work was all about.
Mrs. Grandmont was a loving wife and caring mother, totally devoted to her family. She was a giving person, kind hearted and compassionate. Discreet and soft spoken, she gracefully displayed the art of listening. Her simple and delicate gestures betrayed her nobility.
Adventuresome by nature, Mrs. Grandmont had become a seasoned traveller, having toured Cuba, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jamaica and Yugoslavia. She cherished, most of all, her pilgrimages to Lourdes, Rome and Medjugorje.
A lifelong member of the Roman Catholic Church, she held a special devotion to the Virgin Mary and to Saint Theresa. Her faith became her strength, love inspired her every action, hope and serenity added beauty to her soul.
Mrs. Grandmont is survived by her husband Marcel; children Chantal (Wilfred Despres Jr.) of New Liskeard and Marc (Linda) of Timmins; sisters Gisèle (Laurent Labonté) of Elk Lake, Marie-Jeanne (Gabriel Paquette) of Larder Lake and Diane (Pierre Côté) of New Liskeard; brothers André, Rosaire, Fernand and Normand, all of New Liskeard, Paul of Notre Dame du Nord, Jean-Guy of Manitoulin Island and Michel of Rockland; and by four grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her parents, sister Rose-Aimée, brother Donald, sisters-in-law Suzanne, Rita and Pierrette and brother-in-law Philippe Lantaigne.
The funeral was arranged by Perrin Funeral Chapel in New Liskeard with the service conducted August 13 at Sacred Heart Church. Father Firmin Lafond and Father Léo Rancourt of Saint Dominique Parish in Timmins, a friend of the family, officiated.
Reading from the scripture and the eulogy were performed by Rémi Grandmont, brother-in-law of Mrs. Grandmont.
Pallbearers were grandchildren Patrick, Sophie and Maxim Miron and Mathieu Grandmont, niece Brenda Lamb (née Gervais) and nephew Stéphane Grandmont.
Burial took place at the New Liskeard Roman Catholic cemetery.
Relatives and friends attending the service came from the Tri-Towns and surrounding communities, all corners of Ontario — from Hearst to Manitoulin Island, to Rockland, Cambridge and Welland — several towns and cities located along the Northwestern Quebec corridor, from Ville Marie to Rouyn, Amos and Val d’Or, and as far away as the United States.
Roger Rivard
Roger Rivard of New Liskeard died peacefully at his home on October 4, 2003.
He was born in Earlton on August 17, 1926. On January 2, 1946 he married his best friend and love of his life, Cecile Beaudry.
Mr. Rivard was family oriented and a very social individual who valued all encounters with relatives, friends and acquaintances. He was also very proud of his French and religious heritage, had an outstanding joie de vivre, living his life to the fullest of his capacities.
Mr. Rivard’s favourite hobbies were reading, camping and travelling and he treasured the memories of his cottage life and trips.
Mr. Rivard was a past administrative director at the Caisse Populaire, a very successful building contractor and entrepreneur.
He was predeceased by his parents Ernest and Germaine Rivard and by his sister Loretta Forget.
Mr. Rivard is survived by his wife Cecile; children Germaine Roy (Jean-Guy), Louis Rivard (Laurette), Pauline Gauthier (Jean-Maurice), Rita Lussier (Gerard), Lucille Goudreault (Normand), Jacques Rivard (Francine Laferriere), Gilles Rivard (Suzanne), Fernande Cambray (Roger), Suzanne Rivard (Robert Lacasse), Lauretta Leblanc (Come), Laurette Rivard (Gary King), Laura Belanger (Jean), Aline Lefebvre (Guy); 35 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; brothers Rosaire, Romeo, Sylvio and Gerard; and sisters Reina Rivard and Jeanne D’Arc Gauthier (Albert).
The funeral was arranged by Perrin Funeral Chapel in New Liskeard with the service conducted by Father Firmin Lafond at Paroisse Sacre-Coeur.
The pallbearers were Roger Roy, Richard Lussier, Joel Goudreault, Jean-Luc Rivard, Joel Rivard, Marc Rivard, Pierre Rivard and Patrick Rivard.
Relatives and friends attending the service came from James Bay, Windsor, London, Toronto, Wasaga Beach, Montreal, Rouyn, Timmins, Sudbury and throughout Northeastern Ontario and Quebec.
The family of Mr. Rivard expressed their appreciation for the care and thoughtfulness shown by the staff at the Temiskaming Hospital during the years, with a special thanks to Dr. Pat Logan.
“We thank everyone for the refreshments, flowers, donations. We greatly appreciate all your comfort and kindness.”
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Celiac Association or a charity of choice would be appreciated by the family.
Gertrude Ruth DeMorest, nee Stephenson
Gertrude Ruth DeMorest, nee Stephenson, the last surviving daughter of Speaker editor Elijah F. Stephenson and granddaughter of its founder, A.E. Stephenson, has died at the age of 96 in Unionville, Ontario.
Mrs. DeMorest was born April 15, 1907 in New Liskeard, shortly after A.E. arrived in the town to begin publishing what was then called the New Liskeard Speaker. A.E. Stephenson was a newspaperman from Muskoka who had first visited his friend John Armstrong in the Wabi settlement in 1894, when the Armstrong family were still lodged in a tent. From this connection came Mrs. DeMorest’s lifelong attachment to two Armstrong girls, Glade Armstrong Jewell and her cousin Marjorie Monoghan.
In time, both father and son and the Tom Armstrongs built houses on Farah Avenue and this is where Mrs. DeMorest grew up, adoring of her grandfather A.E. whom she called Nappa.
Her two sisters, Irene and Dorothy, both predeceased her by many years.
After completing high school, Mrs. DeMorest attended McDonald Hall in Guelph, now part of Guelph University, where she trained as a dietitian.
She then worked in hospitals as a dietitian until her marriage to diamond driller Harrison DeMorest of Sudbury in 1933.
After a few years, Mr. DeMorest established DeMorest Drilling in Noranda, Quebec. Mrs. DeMorest designed a beautiful house there at 116 Tremoy Road. Glade Armstrong and her geologist husband Howard Jewell then built next door, the two gardens connected by a garden gate. In 1938, they were joined by another New Liskeard couple, Fred Smith, who became Mr. DeMorest’s secretary/office manager and his new wife Mary Stewart who had taught public school in New Liskeard.
The children of these three couples remain close to this day.
In 1946 after the war, the DeMorests and the Jewells rekindled their New Liskeard roots by building cottages on Jones’ Bay at Twin Lakes, along with Dr. Art and Nell Turner and Bill and Edna Hosking in a community which became known as Little Quebec.
In 1951, Fred and Mary Smith joined them with a cottage on Fairy Lake. Mrs. DeMorest named her attractive pink cottage CasaRosa. It was sold to Xandra Hosking Skrinda when Mr. and Mrs. DeMorest relocated to the Toronto area, where they remained in a variety of locations for the rest of their lives.
Mr. DeMorest died in 1971. Mrs. DeMorest lived the last decade of her life at Union Villa in Unionville where she died peacefully on September 4, 2003. She is survived by her daughter Lynda and her husband Lloyd Gower of Cambridge, and by her son Stephen DeMorest and wife Carole of Port Parry, also by six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A private family service was held in Markham on September 6. Her ashes will be placed in the New Liskeard Pioneer cemetery in the summer of 2004, where her parents and grandparents rest.
Rena Alice Sternbach
Rena Alice Sternbach died October 14, 2003 at Norview Lodge in Simcoe. She was in her eighty-eighth year.
Mrs. Sternbach was predeceased by her husband Jack Sternbach, parents P.R. and Edna Craven, brother Earl and sisters Nora and Jean.
She is survived by her daughter Edna King and partner Cara Armstrong of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and by her cousin Mary Bartello.
At Mrs. Sternbach’s request, cremation has taken place with funeral arrangements made by the Ferris Funeral Home in Simcoe.
Leonard Herbert Tucker
After a short stay in hospital, Leonard Herbert Tucker of New Liskeard died at the Temiskaming Hospital on September 28, 2003.
He was born in Hilliardton Township on October 30, 1912 to George W. and Gertrude (Emerson) Tucker.
Educated at Hilliardton Public School, he later attended the Haileybury Mining School.
Mr. Tucker married Marjorie I. Logan in New Liskeard on September 2, 1939 and from 1943-46 he served during the war as an aircraftman first class, stationed in Goose Bay, Labrador.
He worked as a purchasing agent with Northern Telephone in Kirkland Lake and New Liskeard, and was an assistant manager with the Iron Ore Company of Canada in Sept-Isles, Quebec.
Mr. Tucker enjoyed gardening, photography, local history (especially pioneer days) and creating the Tucker family history.
In 1990 he moved from Harris Township to New Liskeard.
Mr. Tucker is survived by his wife Marjorie and several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his sisters Millie Lane, Amy Waugh, Phyllis Colton and brother Charles Tucker.
The funeral was arranged by Perrin Funeral Chapel in New Liskeard with the service conducted by Reverend Murray Binsted.
Pallbearers were Marty Auger, Brian Wilson, Doug Waugh, Peter Colton, Ted Waugh and Dennis Howard.
Burial is at Lakeview cemetery in Harris Township.
Relatives and friends from out of town attended the service from Mississauga and North Bay.
Alberta Lavina Borgford
After a short illness, Alberta Lavina Borgford of Beauchamp Township died September 26, 2003 at the Englehart Hospital.
She was born in Armstrong Township on May 24, 1914 to Margaret and Robert Elliott.
Educated at Armstrong Public School, she married Clifford Borgford in Beauchamp Township on April 18, 1934.
A housewife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Mrs. Borgford loved music and played the mouth organ. She lived for and loved her family.
Mrs. Borgford is survived by her sons Robert (wife Nora) of Earlton, George (wife Ellie) of Earlton, Fred of North Bay, Terri Racine, Roy (wife Marion) of Earlton; and by 17 grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband Clifford, brothers Mervin and Russel Elliott and son Cecil Borgford.
The funeral was arranged by McDonald Funeral Home in Englehart with the service conducted September 27 by Peter Dahlin.
Cremation followed.
In memory contributions were made to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
