Gaetane Philibert-Levesque
Teacher, mother, grandmother, former nun. Born on March 6, 1936, in Edmundston, N.B.; died on March 26, 2014, in St-Joseph-de-Madawaska, N.B., from lung cancer, aged 78.
Gaetane Philibert was the third of 11 children born to Rose, a homemaker, and Patrick, a railway worker. She was a natural peacemaker, taking control of scheduling use of the single bicycle shared by the children. Thanks to her, disagreements rarely materialized.
Her fiercely Roman Catholic mother was ecstatic when Gaetane entered the local convent on her 18th birthday. A career in teaching followed, during which she was affectionately known as Soeur Gaetane. After eight years, however, she chose not to renew her sacred vows. Undeterred by the objections of her mother superior, and of her own family, she wrote to the Vatican requesting that she be given permission to leave the order without excommunication. That was approved in 1962.
Gaetane continued to teach elementary school in Edmundston and soon was introduced to Georges Levesque, an engineer and recent graduate of the University of New Brunswick. Marriage quickly followed, and three children, Josée, Georges Jr. and Anick, arrived within six years.
Because Georges worked in paper mills in Eastern Canada, the family moved often, but Gaetane never complained. She would set up a home, find work as a teacher and implant herself in the community, only to do it over again a short time later. This made for deep friendships that expanded across the country.
She encouraged her children to be adventurous; backpacking trips to Europe were supported and university experiences encouraged. "Don't be fearful, be curious," she would say.
Her kindness was legendary. In the final years of her career she taught at a school for troubled teenagers in Montreal. She once rushed to a hospital in the middle of the night to be at the side of a student who was giving birth, alone. Years later, that student told me Gaetane's support was the kindest she had ever experienced. For 10 years, Gaetane regularly bought coffee and a muffin for a homeless man in Montreal's Windsor train station. Whether it was a personal kindness, a thoughtful note or a small gift, she always found the perfect way to make life easier for others.
She was a loyal and passionate Montreal Canadiens fan her entire life. Christmas stockings and birthday gifts usually included Habs paraphernalia, whether you supported the team or even followed hockey at all. Playoffs were the only time we ever heard her curse.
In February, she was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. After being given the news by a young surgeon, she said, "I am so sorry for you, young man, that you have to tell people that they are dying. That must be a tough thing to do."
Knowing that her time was limited, Gaetane refused to be treated as a victim. "I have been fortunate all my life and no way that we go through this last step of my journey moping," she told us in her hospital room. "Death is only a next step, so let's do this in dignity." Her wish was granted. After having the privilege of saying goodbye to all who mattered, including her seven grandchildren, she passed away at our family farm in New Brunswick, surrounded by her loving Georges and children. It was a perfect sendoff for a remarkable life.
Georges Levesque Jr. is Gaetane's son.