Gerald Leopold Joseph Girardin
Obituary
It is with deep sadness that the family announces the passing of Gerald on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach, Manitoba, at the age of 81.
He was predeceased by his parents, Albert and Jeanne, brothers Ronald and Patrick, sister Pauline, grand-daughter Leah, brother-in-law Leonard Fehr, and sisters-in-law Joanna Bouchard and Ruth Girardin.
Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife Mary of 55 years and his sons, Greg (Carolyn), Shane (Pam), Donovan, and Daniel (Ashley). His grandchildren: Jacob, Liam, Grace, Dylan (Emily), Fallynn, Kailyn, Taylor, and Matthew. His great-grandchildren: Grayson and Evelyn. His brothers: John-Paul (Joyce), Antonio, Lomer (Bonnie), and Denis (Irene). His sister: Gisele (Xavier). His sisters-in-law: Camille and Diane, as well as many nieces and nephews from both the Girardin and Bouchard families.
Gerald was born on October 23, 1943, at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was raised in Swan Lake, Manitoba where he lived until he met is wife Mary in 1968.
Gerald and Mary were married on April 11, 1970, in Pinewood, Ontario. They lived in the surrounding area for a couple years until their eventual move to St. Boniface, where he would start his career at Beatrice Foods (Modern/Medo-Land Dairies) in 1972 as a truck driver. He would eventually move into a sales position in 1982 until his retirement in 1998.
In 2001, Gerald and Mary made the move to Red Lake Road, Ontario where they would retire at the family cottage where they could enjoy one of their favourite pass times fishing at the many lakes the surrounding area had to offer.
Being the active person he was, he decided to open up a wild meat shop business servicing patrons around the Kenora, Vermillion Bay, and Dryden areas. Gerald was a skillful carpenter, and he did numerous odd jobs throughout his life (house builds, renovations, and finishing carpentry), which kept him busy until his passing.
He had a passion for singing and music. He learned to play the guitar at an early age and would spend hours building his own instruments. If you attended Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Vermillion Bay, you would often see him as part of the musical worship of the mass as a chorister.
Gerald enjoyed curling and golf and would try his best to take part in those activities when the opportunity presented itself.
A special thank you to the doctors, nurses, aids, and the entire staff at Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach, especially the medicine and 2nd floor surgery wards for their amazing and exceptional care of Gerald during his extensive stay.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 1:00 pm on Friday, August 22, 2025, by Father Kevin Lereh at the Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes Parish, 162 Centrale Avenue in Ste. Anne’s, Manitoba. Interment will be held at a later date in Vermillion Bay, Ontario.
LOVE AND MISS YOU!!
