Obituary of Marcel Corriveau

CORRIVEAU: Marcel Corriveau was born in Ste-Hélène-de-Chester, Québec on May 18th 1929 and passed away on May 11th 2016 at the Valleyview Care Center in Brandon, Manitoba. He was a week shy of his 87th birthday at the time of his passing. At the age of six, Marcel and the family moved to Victoriaville, Québec. Between 1944-1946, Marcel held various jobs and in 1947, he took his apprentice to become a commercial and industrial electrician. His apprentice work included installing electricity in the rural areas of Québec. He became well known for his competence and his passion for his job. He was the first to be called by his work place when there was a need for an electrician. In fact, when dad moved on to another employer in 1965, his prior employer lost several clients as Dad had gained a reputation of trustworthy and quality work. In 1950, Marcel met the love of his life, Monique Poliquin (born on May 13th 1932) and they were married on June 23, 1952. Marcel was a devoted husband to Monique and dedicated father to their 11 children. Times were hard for our parents for many years as they worked hard to care for and raise their large family. Dad worked long hours to feed, clothe, and put a roof over our heads. He would respond to emergency calls from work, day or night, including weekends, to make some extra money for the family. After a long day at work, Dad would sometimes be called in the middle of the night for an electrical emergency. He would come back home, sometimes at 6am, and fall asleep on a chair in the living room as his next day of work would start in a couple hours. With the help of his uncle, Marcel built the house where all of the 11 children were raised. To save money, dad learned to build a house from the ground up, including framing, cement, plumbing, etc. He was a true handyman. Mom learned to sew and she became a very skilled sewer. She made the clothing for the family and a lot of mending. Although our parents did not have a lot of money to spoil us in a material sense, they showed us love, "l'esprit de la famille", the value of life and the importance of family. We have good memories of going on family picnics and car rides to the countryside. Dad played catch with the boys and Mom took the older boys to the early hockey games. Dad was a man of example; he was a hard-worker, demonstrated his love for his wife and children and showed his courage and sense of humour. The well-being and education of the eleven children were a priority to our parents. In 1982, our parents moved to Brandon, Manitoba to start a new adventure. Although dad had health problems, he kept busy with wood-working, fixing various things, walking, biking and helping his children in different ways. Marcel leaves to mourn him his wife of nearly 64 years, Monique, his eleven children: Andre (Joan) of Ottawa, Guy (Rhonda) of Ottawa, Gilles of Brandon, Francois (Suzanne) of Ste-Foy, Québec, Luc (Gisèle) of Brandon, Yves (Bernadette) of Brandon, Marie (Roger) of Dunrea, Jean (Jody) of Winnipeg, Anne (Roger) of Brandon, Julie (Maurice) of Brandon, and Charles (Noella) of Edmonton. He also leaves to mourn his sisters Monique and Ghyslaine and brother Jean-Paul of Québec, as well as 30 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, Arthur and Marie Anne (nee Bellavance ), as well as brother Magella. We are very proud, honoured and grateful that you were our father. You will be very missed but never forgotten. A Funeral Service will be held on at the Brockie Donovan Chapel, 332-8th Street, on Monday, May 16, 2016 at 2:00 p.m., with Kim Lewarne officiating. A private family interment will follow in Rosewood Memorial Gardens. "Merci beaucoup pour tout, Pa. Nous sommes tous très fiers et très reconnaissants de t'avoir eu pour père. On ne t'oubliera jamais, pa. Avec beaucoup d'amour, Ta chère femme Monique et tes 11 enfants."