NOEL JOSEPH ST. HILAIRE

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NOEL JOSEPH ST. HILAIRE 1930 - 2016 Peacefully at Actionmarguerite (St. Vital) after a courageous battle with cancer, Noel St. Hilaire passed away on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 at the age of 86. He leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife of 68 years, Lucille (Rivard) and his six children and their spouses, Marcelle and Denis De Pape, Ray and Barb St. Hilaire, Rob St. Hilaire, Annette and Sepp Mattiasch, Marie and Andy Wheeler and Carol and Norm Goebel. He was predeceased by his brothers, Arthur, Joseph, Napoleon, Armand and Maurice and his sisters, Therese, Alice and Marie-Ange. He also leaves to mourn his passing his sister Marie of Winnipeg. Dad was blessed with 12 grandchildren, Noelle, Marianne, Brigette, Christine, Ray Jr., Mandy, Jamie, Ryan, Jeremy, Genevieve, Adam, and Eric and 13 great-grandchildren, and all of them were very special to him. They will always remember the fun times they shared with Grandpa roasting marshmallows around the firepit and watering Grandpa's beautiful flowers in the rock garden at the cottage at Albert Beach. Noel was born February 7, 1930 in St. Boniface, Manitoba, the seventh child of Maria (Fontaine) and Joseph St. Hilaire's family of ten children. In 1947 at the young age of 17 he started his career as a power engineer at Misericordia Hospital where he met the love of his life, Lucille. And from that moment on they were inseparable, sharing all of life's ups and downs together and celebrating all of their 68 anniversaries with relatives and friends. To support his growing family, he studied and worked very hard for over seven years in order to obtain his 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and finally his 1st class power engineering certificate which he was very proud of. Most of his working years were spent at the Shell Oil Refinery in Winnipeg as a senior refinery engineer for over 30 years until his early retirement in 1983. Dad was a strong supporter of workers' rights and an important contributor to the local unions that he belonged to throughout his career. As an active member of his church and seniors club, Noel was co-founder and president of the St. Martyrs Canadiens Parish and also co-founder of the Vive La Joie Seniors Club which he presided over for several years at Prendergast School. Noel and Lucille spent many happy years at the club with friends and family members participating in bingo, square dancing, craft sales, cribbage tournaments and gambling trips to Shooting Star. Dad was also active in the Credit Union movement, founding and working with the Holy Family Credit Union which later amalgamated with the Cambrian Credit Union. In 2006, Noel received the Certificate of Appreciation Award from the Government of Canada for his outstanding service and contribution as a volunteer in his community. Dad had a magical green thumb as everything he planted, from raspberry canes to apple trees, grew and thrived under his care. In later years, he was happiest outdoors close to Nature, in the garden at the lake, looking after his lawn and his prized collection of peonies, roses and stargazer lilies and watching the hummingbirds and butterflies feeding at the honeysuckle and clematis vines that he lovingly planted for the enjoyment of Lucille, the kids, the grandkids and the many relatives and friends who came to visit often. Besides being a gifted gardener, Noel was an exceptional handyman who enjoyed building and fixing things with his hands. He always had a special carpentry project that he was working on, building and painting bookcases and shelves so that Mum would have a place to proudly display the many framed pictures of their constantly growing family. Noel also had a great sense of humour and enjoyed playing little tricks on the grandchildren and his many son-in-laws. We love you and miss you Dad and you will be with us always in our hearts and in our thoughts. A special thank you to all the staff at Actionmarguerite (St.Vital) for taking such good care of Noel during his stay there. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 5, 2017, at Holy Family Church, 778 Archibald Street, with eulogies beginning at 1:00 p.m. A reception will follow. Private interment will be held at a later date. LECLAIRE BROTHERS 475 Provencher Blvd. in care of arrangements, 204-775-2220

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 31, 2016