Obituary

Anne Lavoie (née Hayduk) passed away peacefully in Edmonton on Monday, September 14th, 2015 at the age of 93. Anne was predeceased by her husband, Victor; her daughter, Mona (Peter); her parents, John and Mary; and her siblings, Steve (Rose), Michael, Harvey (Theresa), and Lillian (Eugene). Anne will be remembered by her sons, Michel (Cecilia), Guy (Troy), and Denis (Cecile); by her grandchildren, Danae, Malcolm (Moira), Ewen, Caroline (Derek), Joël, Reed, Callum, Patrick, Misha, Maura, Kieri, and Rachelle; by her great-granddaughter, Jesslyn; by her sister, Catherine (Bill); by nieces, nephews, friends and neighbours; and by the generations of students whose lives she touched over the course of her five decades as a teacher in the St. Paul area.

Anne was born in the homesteading community of Plain Lake, Alberta on October 5th, 1921. Her parents were immigrants from Eastern Europe who built a life in Canada as farmers and landowners. From a young age, Anne learned the importance of hard work, education, and faith in God, lessons she later passed down to many who came after her. Anne was among the few students in her community to complete high school and attend university. She became a teacher in the early 1940’s, and taught for over fifty years.

Anne met her future husband, Victor Lavoie, at a community dance while she was a teacher in St. Brides. They were married in 1946. Anne and Victor raised four children in a loving home that valued learning, perseverance, and sympathy for others. Anne welcomed 12 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter into the world, and cared for each with all her heart. She took immense pride in her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and students, celebrating their successes and encouraging them every step of the way. To her grandchildren, as well as to so many others, she was known simply as “Baba” – someone you could always turn to for help or advice or a good story, who would welcome you in with a hug and a warm meal and would never let you leave hungry.

Anne was a kind and gifted teacher who inspired her students to learn. She was at the centre of community life in St. Paul, never hesitating to say hello, to speak her mind, or to lend a helping hand. She was intensely intelligent and perceptive, right up until her last days. She was gregarious and fun-loving, and would never fail to fill up a room with her joyful voice, a trait that stood her in good stead with students and grandchildren.

Alberta has changed in many ways since the day Anne was born on a homestead farm in Plain Lake, but her values were constant and timeless, and they live on in the lives she touched. Anne believed in hard work, honesty, and a commitment to learning, in caring for others, in the importance of family, and above all in the redemptive power of faith in Jesus Christ. She lived a life full of richness and joy, an example for all, and is now at peace.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the St. Paul Roman Catholic Cathedral (4625 – 50 Avenue, St. Paul, AB) at 10:00 AM on Saturday, September 19th, with interment in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, St. Paul. A reception celebrating the life of Anne Lavoie will follow at Centennial Senior Citizen Centre, 5114 – 49 Avenue, St. Paul). If desired memorial donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice c/o 5626 – 51 Street, St. Paul, AB T0A 3A1. To send condolences online, please visit www.gracegardensfuneralchapel.com.

GRACE GARDENS FUNERAL CHAPEL, 5626 – 51 Street, St. Paul, AB T0A 3A1 780-645-2677