Annette "Tessier" Lepage

Obituary Annette ("Laboule" nee Anita Tessier) Lepage, aged 85, died peacefully on August 17, 2018 in Kearney, Ontario, surrounded by her seven children, after a brief struggle with cancer. Annette was born October 8, 1932, in Val Rita near Kapuskasing, Ontario, the daughter of Weller and Adele ( Genest) Tessier. She married Roger Lepage in Kapuskasing on April 21, 1951 and together they had eight children. Although our Mom had very little formal education, she was curious for knowledge and very early in age became a passionate and voracious reader, shaping her life and those around her. In the 1960's , she read books on yoga, nutrition and good health, and became an avid follower of the practice, following a path of fitness and nutrition for the rest of her life, setting a precedent for her children to follow. She loved to read do-it-yourself books and would bravely and independently tackle, projects that very few women would have done in those years including carpentry work, kitchen renovations and more, being careful to re-use available materials on her limited budgets. Paint brushes, hammers and saws were the tools of her trade. Never one to waste, she invented the term re-use and would always insist on straightening out nails, and keeping pieces of wood and partially used paint cans for future projects. She was an outstanding seamstress, saving money by sewing Christmas and special occasion dresses for her five girls and reupholstering couches and chairs, also patiently handing down her many skills to her children. When our Dad retired in 1989, they moved to Remi Lake in Moonbeam, Ontario where they had many fun projects together including one of their last important projects of building their home on the lake where many happy summers were and continue to be spent together with the children and grandchildren. Ten short years later, our Dad passed away leaving a large hole in all our hearts and an irreplaceable part of our Mom's life. She missed him deeply but needing to feel useful she continued to lead a productive life by helping with projects at the lake, designing the next upgrade to the cottage and spending many productive weeks and months at her children's homes, helping them with their projects and enjoying her grandchildren. We have all joked that each of us was Mom's favorite, but she loved us equally and unconditionally and was there for each of us when we needed her from the day we were born until the day she passed. Quick with a smile and an amazing listener, she was a friend to all who crossed her path. She was a humble woman of few words, but when she spoke, all listened, trusted and respected her deeply. She was so proud of her children's achievements but she was not able to recognize her role in our successes even though we often tried to convey how important she had been in shaping us. Thank you Mom for helping us become who we are. She never wanted to be a burden to her children or to anyone else and so when she learned of her recent and sudden illness, she was much relieved to learn that her time would come quickly and peacefully. She was so happy to see each of her children arriving in time to say goodbye to her before her illness took her away. We will love her forever. Predeceased by her husband Roger (1999) and her daughter Colette (1960), brothers Alpha (2004) and Gerald (2017), Annette is survived by daughters Mona (Lepage) Gingras (Aurele) of Toronto, LouAnne Lepage (Mario Tremblay) of Kapuskasing, ON, Mireille Lepage (Brian Kennedy) of Kearney, ON, Lise Lepage (Malcolm Cameron) of Kimberley BC, Roxanne Lepage (Amadej Cuden) of Gatineau, QC and her sons Roger Lepage (Shelley Prevost) and Jean-Louis Lepage (Star-Michelle) of Thunder Bay; sixteen grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews from all over the country who occupied a special place in her heart. Donations can be made in Annette's honour (c/o Anita Lepage) to the Huntsville Hospital (https://huntsvillehospitalfoundation.ca/donate), where they made her short stay so comfortable and moved mountains to facilitate her move back to Kearney within less than one day so that she could spend her last days in comfort and peace with her children. She was also very supportive of the Canadian Little Library Association which she felt was a great way to share books and encourage reading (https://littlefreelibrary.org/about/). To send flowers to Annette's family, please visit our floral section.