In Loving Memory of
Blanche Annette Beauclair
1929 - 2023
Obituary of Blanche Annette Beauclair
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our cherished Aunt Blanche on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at Westhill Care Home, St Catharines, Ontario.Blanche was born in Elie, Manitoba and is the youngest of 10 children. She is predeceased by her parents, Emilda (Hebert) and Arthur and her sister Rita and brothers Leo, Arthur, Joseph, Henry, Fred and Hubert as well as nieces Verlie, Susan, Karen, god-daughter Lyn and nephews Joseph, Robert, Hubert and Hal. Lovingly remembered by her sisters Louise and Jeanne and sister-in-law Yvonne as well as her nieces and nephews Shirley, Peewee, Clare, Beverly, Sheila, Nancy, Barbara, Cathy, Patricia, Linda, Janette, Diane, Denise, Carol, Amy, John, Gerry, Frank, Grant, and Bob, their spouses, children and children’s children.
Blanche was a tomboy and held her own playing sports against her brothers. Family lore has it Blanche was much better than her brothers at baseball. Blanche was engaged to be married and decided against it to live with her mother after the death of her father in 1956. They relocated to Verdun and were joined shortly thereafter by Louise when she retired from the Canadian Air Force. Blanche had a successful 35-year career with Nortel in Montreal and in retirement Blanche and Louise relocated to St. Catharines, Ontario to be closer to their brothers Joseph and Hubert and their families.
Blanche had two great passions in her life – family and golf.
Blanche and Louise spent large parts of their holidays and weekends with their brothers and sisters and their families. They took the kids to the beach, snow skiing, played baseball, took us to NHL games, went to our games and when our parents weren’t looking gave us a drink of beer. Blanche liked to tell stories, sing and dance and could spend hours entertaining her nieces and nephews with colorful stories. She told us when we were wrong and was a constant positive influences on our lives right up to the present day.
Blanche liked to bowl but her true passion was golf. During her time in Montreal she was a member of Candiac Golf Club and Chambly Golf Club and marshalled at the Canadian Open at Mt Royal. Blanche was an accomplished golfer that played by the rules and spent a lot of time teaching her nephews to play the game properly. She went on many golf trips with her sister and their friends from Montreal including England, Bermuda, South Carolina and Florida. Blanche continued playing in her early 90’s and was always ready for a conversation on the PGA or LPGA tour.
Later in life Blanche became a “shutterbug” and always had photos of nieces and nephews and their children to share with visitors.
Blanche has been a constant positive influence on the lives of her nieces and nephews welcoming their spouses as family and getting involved with their children and in some cases their children’s children. Blanche is a born leader who stepped to challenges including golfing against men and she will be sorely missed by extended family.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate Aunt Blanche’s life when she is laid to rest with her Mother and Father at the Notre Dame Cemetery, Montreal. Future date to be advised.
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Our dear beloved, treasured Aunt Blanche. Just thinking about our time spent together growing up brings a big smile to my face. She had such a great sense of fun & mischievousness. I have so many many wonderful memories. I took up golf later in life so unfortunately never had the privilege of playing with her.. I would have loved to.. Aunt Blanche was a kind, kindred soul with a genuine interest in everyone. It was obvious family was a priority. I will miss her dearly. The world was definitely a better place with her in it. Rest in peace Aunt Blanche. I love you!
Message from Carol (Part 1 of 2)
Aunt Blanche has been a profound influence throughout my life and that of my family – Jeff, Sydney and Paige. Growing up I always looked forward to our Christmas packages from grandma and the aunts that contained hand knit slippers and a few bucks. She was more fun than the aunts of my friends and I remember her for her unabashed energy when it came to interacting with us. My kids are blessed by the same interactions. As a Great Aunt, Blanche, would play dolls or dress up like any kid, roll on the ground and generally just kibitz. She was always up for whatever was asked of her. We have so many wonderful memories of sharing dinners, birthdays, holidays, golf and wine+, together.
I learned at an early age that Aunt Blanche loved to push boundaries. Whether it was singing a dirty little French song or telling a joke, she did so frankly and unapologetically. Through golf, Blanche defied societal expectations and excelled in a sport where women have historically been marginalized. Her skill in the game served as evidence of her effort to challenge and break down gender biases.
Blanche was a rule follower, whether it was associated with life or golf. In life, she was focused on maintaining order, respecting the rights of others and maintaining healthy relationships. On the golf course, she was by the book. At every hole, you’d hear her say “mark your ball”. She wanted to ensure you did not encroach on someone else’s space on the green or obstruct their putting line.
Message from Carol (Part 2 of 2)
Blanche had a heart of gold. She possessed exceptional kindness, compassion and generosity towards others. She was concerned about the well-being and happiness of those around her with a special focus on her sister Louise. Blanche had a key role in our annual Christmas breakfast. She was responsible for bringing the orange juice (key ingredient for Mimosas) and I never had to be concerned that it wouldn’t show up.
To her friends and to strangers, Blanche often joked about being an “undiscovered treasure”, especially when she was asked about marriage. To me and my family, Blanche was a discovered treasure. We will always love and remember her for her unique qualities, and the way in which she made us feel valued, loved, and appreciated.
REMEMBERING MY SISTER (PART 1 OF 2)
BLANCHE BEAUCLAIR
I was 8 years old when Blanche our last family child was born. As I got older, I was able to be some help to mind her once in a while. As far as I can remember she was a nice baby. Mom was not well after Blanch was born, we almost lost her. Mom, Louise, and Hubert went with Dad so Mom could have things easier. For a while I stayed with Blanche at Grammas so I could help look after Blanche. I carried Blanche along wherever I went. Blanche always got along with all of us. I don’t remember any big misunderstandings. Blanche always wanted to be a boy. Things could get very noisy if you disagreed with her. Blanche was very
caring of any of her friends, you were badly used if they were not treated well. She saw to it that they shared our meals. She went so far as to dress one boy in Huberts out-grown clothes. We girls, Louise 11, Blanche 9, and I 16 spent 7 months as boarders in the Elie Convent. This was 1938. Blanche was allowed to wear her overalls. She spoke the way she often does at home, but she wasn’t at home, the nuns took exception to things we would not have noticed at home, so I often had to do a lot of fast talking. There was one nun if she had not let go of Blanche when I told her to, I would have smacked her. I don’t know what Blanche was supposed to have done, it was in the evening and happened in the time it took for me to bring in the water for the morning. It happened on the third floor where we slept and the nun wanted Blanche to sleep 2 floors down on a bench as punishment. Blanche ran up to me scared to death and crying that she wanted to sleep in her bed. After the convent Louise, Blanche and I went to Jellicoe to be with our parents, I started working in Jellicoe, I saw little of Blanche and the others because I was working all day. I meet my husband in Jellicoe, Blanche approved of Clarence when I met him. She made sure none of his girlfriends snagged him while I was away.
REMEMBERING MY SISTER (PART 2 OF 2)
As I was writing this everything I could remember was quite normal, now of course I quite suddenly remember odd things. One morning Mom was going somewhere, she wanted Blanche to get dressed to come with her., blanche took off, Mom asked me to catch her and I started to run after her, as luck would have it one of the pots was on the front porch, Blanche tripped and fell against the pot. The piece where the handle goes into the pot went in under Blanches chin. She had a scar there for the rest of her life. Blanche was allergic to wool, which wasn’t known at the time, she was miserable in the winters when we wore wool all the time. Blanche would wake Louise and I up in the night with her scratching, we would each get a hold of leg or arm and rub it till she settled down and went back to sleep. Blanche smoked most of her life, she started smoking at 2 years old, it was war time, when we had apples my mother would make sure the younger ones got an apple first, if any were left we older kids got one. Art was smoking by then and would trade Blanche a puff on his cigarette for a bite of her apple. I don’t know when Blanche stopped smoking.
Jeanne Dufresne (nee Beauclair)