Obituary of JOYCE GAUTHIER

JOYCE GAUTHIER 1939 – 2013 Joyce Gauthier, born in Winnipeg on April 28, 1939; aged 74 years, passed away on Tuesday, December 31st, after a brief illness while at the Health Sciences Centre. She was predeceased by her mother, Jean Evanchuk, father-in-law, Woodrow Gauthier, and mother-in-law, Jennie Gauthier, sister-in-law, Linda Joss, niece, Nicole Gauthier, aunts, uncles and close friends. Joyce will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by her husband of 54 years, Jim, her son Randy (Donna) and four grandchildren, Kaylen, Jayden, Tyson and Camryn. Joyce will also be fondly remembered by sisters and brothers-in-law, Evelyn (Brian) Colbert, Jason Gauthier, Garnet (Brenda) Gauthier, nieces and nephews, Marcie (Shawn) Koslowski, Devon Gauthier, Fallon Gauthier, Garnet Jr. Gauthier, Jamie (Terry) Gauthier and Chris (Carly) Gauthier, cousins Marlene Evanchuk and John Evanchuk, as well as many great nieces and nephews. Also mourning Joyce’s passing are close friends, Cathy and Glen Cross, Rev. Mary-Beth and Monty Flom, Donna Kozicki, Joan Stevens, and many others. Joyce had a passion for gardening. She loved having many flowers adorn her deck at the beloved family summer cottage and could be seen working with the flowers in those flower pots and planters daily. In recent years she fell in love with golf and was a regular on many courses with her friends. She enjoyed the summer cottage in Lake of the Woods as well as spending time over the past many years in Pompano Beach Florida. Joyce enjoyed the outdoors and the creatures that surrounded her home. She befriended a chipmunk who took up residency under her deck, which she playfully named Cooper. Watching the hummingbirds was also a great pastime. She found a huge void in her life upon losing her two four-legged companions, Oprah and Tanya, which led to her love of being an avid and genuine supporter of various pet rescue organizations as well as the Winnipeg Humane Society, in Oprah and Tanya’s honor. Joyce married the love of her life and companion of 54 years in 1959. Together Jim and Joyce worked hard and played hard. The love they shared was evident in everything they did and they did everything together. They enjoyed their Friday evening get-togethers at the Lake with their Lake neighbors, happy hour around the pool in Pompano Beach, and most recently, going on cruises. Life will not be the same for Jim without Joyce, and he feels that already. They truly were two that stood as one. Over the years, Joyce enjoyed supporting the local hockey and football teams, rarely missing a Winnipeg Blue Bomber game when it was on the television. Watching the Jet games prior to the original team leaving Winnipeg was replaced with watching the grandchildren play hockey. Baba, as the children called her, enjoyed making “Baba’s cookies” for the children as well as many different cakes and appetizers. Christmas was a special time of year for Baba and she truly enjoyed getting together with the entire Gauthier family at that time. Over the years, Jim and Joyce took pride in decorating their home with not a decoration to spare, in the Christmas spirit. There is no wonder that it quickly caught on as a Winnipeg attraction, with buses filled with people coming by to view the Winter Wonderland. Funeral services will be held at the Holy Rosary Church, 510 River Avenue, with Father Sam Argenziano officiating. Condolences begin at 10am and Mass of Christian Burial at 11am, on Saturday, January 4th, 2014. Burial will be at All Saints Cemetery, 4535 Main Street directly after Mass. A reception will follow at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main Street. Pallbearers will be Joyce’s grandsons, Kaylen, Jayden and Tyson Gauthier, and brothers-in-law Jason Gauthier, Brian Colbert and Garnet Gauthier. It was Joyce’s request that in lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to help those who cannot speak for themselves. The Winnipeg Humane Society was the charity of her choice.