We are here today to celebrate the life of my father , Claude Levesque, and to say goodbye to a wonderful man. For those of you that don’t know me, I am his youngest daughter Denise.
I would first like to take a moment to thank those that were part of his care in the most recent years of his life. To the staff of Les Residences Jodin who really took him under their care when mom was living there. Also to la Villa Desjardins where he lived out his final years. As a family it was a comfort knowing that there was always someone around him that genuinely cared about his wellbeing. I would also like to thank all of you for coming today.
How do you honour someone wholly and completely in 3-5 min? It’s like trying to put the whole universe in one bottle; it just cannot be done. I will do my best to describe my father as I knew him but I can guarantee you it will pale in comparison to the man that he was.
He was born in 1936 in St. Anne, the first of 7 children. By the age of 10 he was helping his mom bake cakes in the kitchen but he was too short to reach the counter so he would put the bowl of batter on a chair to stir it. He lived on a farm with cows, sheep, chickens, etc...and took part in the many chores all while going to school and coming in close to the top of his class. I don’t think it is any surprise to anyone that knew him that he was smart as a whip.
By 17 he left for the Airforce to find a better life for himself as he knew he didn’t want to work in farming or forestry. His time in the Air Force brought him to Korea where he was not only a clerk typist but also aided in Search and Rescue and navigation. My father literally jumped out of planes and saved lives.
When his time in the military was done he came home and met the love of his life, my mom. It was not long after that they were married and had 8 of us. During this time he became one of the best auto body repair men I have ever known and his work ethic was second to none. I remember one story he told me about how he lost his job because the bank was foreclosing on the business. He was told he had just enough time to grab his tool chest and leave the premises. So here is dad pushing his tools down the street when he passes another auto body shop. One of the employees was standing outside and he asked if there was work. He ended up getting hired on the spot.
He loved the game of hockey and coached for many years. It’s where my love of the game comes from. I once asked him who his favourite NHL team was and he said “ the one that wins”. I know in my heart he was a Bruins fan but mom was a Canadians fan so he kept it to himself. It is fitting to note that I ended up writing this while sitting at a hockey game. It will always be where I feel closest to him.
He had a wandering spirit and couldn’t sit still for long. I think it is my sister Diane that holds the record for the most schools attended but I could be wrong. He was always trying to make a better life for us.
He loved a long road trip and we travelled many times to visit family. There are many songs that will forever remind me of these times. Anything by George Jones as that was his favourite and whenever Islands In The Stream plays I will always think of him.
In his midlife he built the home my mom and him would live out the remainder of their time together. They would go on to host Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving for as long as they could. He had his shop right next to the house so it made it easy for him to enjoy coffee breaks and lunch with my mom.
This is where most of the grandchildren remember their grandfather. From the Christmas that we had the actual Santa come to the house and deliver gifts on a sleigh to wooden toys Peper would create ; he loved his grandchildren so much that I have seen him well up with tears from pride. There was a write up from one of his grandchildren that I would like to share as it embodies all of his Peper isms.
. “My Pepere was one of the funniest jokesters I've ever met. He was the one every kid in our family feared sitting next to at the dinner table when ployes were served, because he was such a great actor you never knew if he was going to butter it for you or slap you in the face with it. I can't imagine him wanting anyone of us crying over him. He would have had some kind of sarcastic "im old stop crying" remark, that would make some people uncomfortable but if you knew him you'd know it was his way to get a laugh. He was one of the most hardworking men I've ever met in my life and the love he had for my Memere could be seen through the way they joked around with eachother. They honestly looked like two little teenagers flirting. He loved and cared for her till the day she passed.. their love,in my opinion, is a wonderful example of those vows people take when they get married that so many take as just words. Death has a funny way of reminding you that life is everchanging, its sad yes but inevitable just the same. So live your best life. Shake your teeth, wiggle your ears and just try to find the happy parts in the worst situations. Thats what Pepere did.
RIP Pepere
