In Memory of Hélène Guibord
Born in Tecumseh, Ontario Hélène died peacefully in her sleep January 22nd, 2019, two weeks before her 100th birthday. She was the eldest daughter of the late Senator Gustave Lacasse, and Marie-Anne St-Pierre. She had the greatest admiration for her father, Gustave Lacasse (1890-1953), journalist and physician, who spoke out strongly against the ignominious Regulation 17 adopted by the Ontario Legislature, which limited francophone education in Ontario, and who became known as “the lion of the peninsula” for his spirited opposition to this legislation. Senator Lacasse founded and served as managing editor of the French-language weekly La Feuille d’érable. In 1952, he founded Lacasse Printing in Tecumseh.
After obtaining her diploma from the University of Ottawa Teachers’ College, Hélène Lacasse began her career as a teacher in Tecumseh before working for the Ontario Department of Education in Toronto and returning later to teaching in Ottawa. After raising her six children she was admitted to the University of Ottawa and received her Bachelor’s Degree at the age of 56. An accomplished musician, she loved playing the piano for hours at home and accompanying the parish choir at the organ.
She is predeceased by her husband Lucien Guibord (1988), journalist and news editor at Le Soleil and Le Droit, and by her son Laurent (2014). She is survived by five children: André (Sandra Lafontaine) of Val-des-Monts (Qc), Yolande of Vanier (On), Louis of Orléans (On), Colette (Charles Boulanger) of Verdun (Qc), and Jeanne of Ottawa, as well as her daughter-in-law Marie-Françoise Potvin of Gatineau.
She is also survived by her dear younger brother Jean-Louis (Joe) Lacasse (Jackie Berthiaume) of Tecumseh; seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren; five sisters-in-law, Françoise, Hélène, Marcelle (Joe Budnick) as well as Rose Pillar and Mary Lou Fletcher of Windsor; numerous nieces and nephews from the Windsor-Detroit area, Ohio, California and Montreal; her extended Ho family whom she and her husband Lucien adopted as Vietnamese refugees in 1975; and her dear friends Murielle Séguin of Hawkesbury, Germaine Carrier of Orléans, and Diane Bigras of Gatineau.
A mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 2nd, 2019 at 10 a.m. at Saint-Joseph Church, 2757 St. Joseph Blvd. in Orléans (Ontario). Friends and relatives are welcome to offer their condolences to the family from 9 a.m. Instead of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Montfort Hospital Foundation (https://hopitalmontfort.com/fr/fondation).
The family wishes to express their warmest gratitude to the exceptional team of the 5th floor of the Centre d’accueil Champlain for their loving care and devoted service to Hélène during her stay. Many thanks as well to Béatrice Ntukamazina, Immaculée Wakana and Pauline Clouâtre-Nofal for the fine personal care and warm affection they showed to our mother these past several years.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Heritage Funeral Home, 1250 Trim Road, Orléans (On) (https://heritagefh.ca/).
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