Obituary of JOYCE BEAUBIEN

JOYCE BEAUBIEN

(nee Skagfeld)

Joyce Audrey Beaubien (née Skagfeld) died peacefully in her room at Fred Douglas Lodge after a brief illness on         January 21, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the age of 94.                                                                                                                    

Joyce was born on September 1, 1923 in Winnipeg MB. She was in the first class to graduate from grade 12 at Glenlawn Collegiate in St Vital. After graduating from the General Hospital she worked as a registered nurse for ten years in such varied locations as Ladysmith BC, Red Lake Ontario, Bissett and Pine Falls, Manitoba where she met and married Joffre Beaubien. Following their marriage, Joyce stayed home, concentrating on raising their five children; passing on her commitment to family, compassion and honesty. Joyce and Joff were always there to support their children and grandchildren; babysitting, helping out with house renovations and projects, loans, attending recitals and performances, or whatever was needed.

The cottage at Sunset Beach became their full-time home in 1985. After Joff’s death in 1995, Joyce moved to MacGregor, MB. where she lived with her daughter & son-in-law, Cindy and Clint. There she became an active member of the MacGregor United Church and established many friendships.

Maintaining strong ties with family and friends was paramount so Joyce spent much of her time on the phone, writing letters and visiting, both close to home and away, making many trips to Saskatchewan to stay with her eldest son, Brian, and Italy to spend time with her youngest son, Stan.  Family history was Joyce’s passion. Compiling family pictures and stories, she wrote family history books for both sides of her family, making them available to whoever wanted one. These are treasured by everyone who has a copy.

Joyce is survived by her siblings: Irene Baldwin of Winnipeg and Calvin Skagfeld of Victoria, BC; children: Cindy (Clint) Cannon of RM Victoria, Brian Beaubien of Battleford, SK,  Renee Beaubien (John Baillie) of Winnipeg, Susan (Dave) Mitchell of Portage la Prairie, MB  and Stan Beaubien (Elena Pettinelli) of Bassano, Italy; grandchildren, Melania Cannon (Aaron Gunson), Steven Cannon (Kailing Yen),  Daniel Cannon (Jen Easterbrook), Sheila (Beejay Chua), Chantal (Joel Meidema),  Paul Beaubien, Alex Mitchell, Thomas Mitchell and Dylan Baillie; great- grandchildren, Joffre & Alec Gunson, Sophia and Aubree Cannon, Ethan and Alma Cannon; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Stanley and Gladys Skagfeld; husband Joffre Beaubien; and sisters, Carolyn Holder and Yvonne Oliphant.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for 1:00 pm Saturday, January 27, 2018 at Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor Ave., Winnipeg, MB with a reception to follow at the church.  Rev. Paul Peters Derry will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and share in the celebration of Joyce’s life.