May 25, 1930 - October 12, 2024
In loving memory ~
Monique Guillo died peacefully in her sleep in her Little River home on October 12, near her cozy fireplace and with several of her children near her side. Her passing followed a rapid decline in recent weeks due to heart failure.
Monique lived a remarkable life. Born on May 25, 1930 in the tiny rural village of Billio in the Brittany region of France, her childhood was shaped by loss, starting with the death of her mother and baby sister while Monique was just a toddler. She and her five older sisters were then sent to boarding schools far from home, where the siblings forged a bond that would endure throughout their lives. The onset of World War II marked the start of fear, scarcity and hunger that continued for years after the war ended 鈥� a terrible time for so many, with bad memories that Monique would never forget.
She was in her mid-twenties with a stable career in hospital administration when in 1957 she made the life-changing decision to leave her job and her beloved sisters to join her childhood acquaintance and new fianc茅 Michel for a very different life in the wilds of British Columbia. They married in Vancouver, then set off on a journey by ship in the middle of winter to a new home in Terrace where Michel worked as a pole maker in the lumber industry.
What followed were years of adventure. Changes to the system of granting timber harvest licences precipitated moves to Kitsilano then North Vancouver, before moving to a remote logging float camp in Seymour Inlet in the early 1960s. They flew first to Port Hardy in a DC-3, then climbed into a Beaver for the flight to Seymour Inlet, with three small children aged four and under in Monique's arms.
Since float camp life does not include safe playgrounds, Monique dressed her young children in life jackets along with their diapers and wool sweaters. Always resourceful, Monique managed the household under challenging circumstances - grocery shopping was handled by placing orders over radio telephone for later delivery by ship. It was one of her favourite places she ever lived.
Their next move was to Little River in Comox in 1965, where they were warmly welcomed by their new community and where they would stay for the rest of their lives.
Monique was resilient, stoic and independent, wise yet deeply humble. She was a wonderful mother. Her pride and her purpose was her family. She was frugal by necessity, then by choice to build a legacy for her children, never forgetting the adversity of her youth. Her elegant, skillful hands seemed to always be busy with baking, making preserves, sewing, knitting, embroidery and countless other talents. A life-long learner who closely followed world events, she loved to read and had a keen interest in history and art. For several years she taught French and Latin for North Island Distance Education to students around the world, a job she truly loved.
She always looked happiest when she was holding babies 鈥� her children, then grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Monique was predeceased by her husband Michel in 1998 as well as her sisters, H茅l猫ne, Genevi猫ve, Anne, Th茅r猫se, Julienne and infant C茅cile. She was the last of her generation on both sides of the family. She leaves behind her five children, Pat (Henriette), Fran莽oise, Chris (Dianne), Fred (Vicky) and Anne (Greg), grandchildren Brittany, Vanahlee, Natasha, Eliza, Carmen, Daisy, Oliver and Eric, and four great-grandchildren. She is also survived by extended Perrotin and Guillo families in France and beyond.
Her family is grateful to the doctors, nurses and home care team that helped care for Monique in her later years. Special thanks to the neighbours in Little River who have looked out for her in the years since her husband's passing.
At her request, a private family service has taken place.
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