LAURENT MARIE PLOQUIN

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

LAURENT MARIE PLOQUIN It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Laurent Marie Ploquin on July 18, 2018. He was born in Leoville, Saskatchewan on May 11, 1953 and raised in Saskatoon. He lived in Regina, Calgary, and Winnipeg, with most of his adult life spent in the Okanagan in Kelowna. He is predeceased by his mother Emilie Ploquin (nee Roberge), from North Dakota, his father Henri Ploquin, from Leoville, SK, and his sisters, Marie, Marguerite, and brother Joe. He leaves to mourn his brother Frank, wife Lynne, children, Derek, Glenn (Kim), Sarah, and granddaughter Kara. Laurent was a man of many talents and skills. In his all-too-short life, he was a Queen scout, provincial championship wrestler, hand glider, martial artist, and amazing chef. His greatest passion, however, was fishing. There wasn't a body of water that he could pass up the opportunity to fish on, as he enjoyed it in every province and many countries. At age 17 he proudly joined the Air Force, and was posted in Ottawa. Upon leaving the military he worked a number of jobs. He enjoyed his time as a pharmaceutical rep before settling into a career in occupational health and safety that specialized in fall protection. He was a trainer on the CSA advisories technical board, where he worked primarily in Canada, the Western provinces, and also travelled to the USA and Europe. When he retired he moved back to the Okanagan where his mind and heart could settle to the place he always called home, and to be closer to his son. He loved to travel and be immersed in other languages, cultures, and food. Laurent had an amazing core group of friends whom he loved dearly and everyone that met him got to know his sense of humour. He always had a "Laurent joke" at the ready, and not a day in his life went by without one. If he could leave the world with a statement I think it would be something like this: Love with all your heart, don't hold back, never stop reading and learning, teach your children not to just read, but to challenge what they read, and to think critically. Immerse yourself in other languages, food, and cultures. Don't be afraid; fear breeds ignorance. Be your own person: steadfast and true, and always, always maintain a sense of humour. In lieu of flowers, if you would like to honour him, please donate to your local food bank, or any charity you believe can help out your fellow man.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 28, 2018