Jean-Paul Lemoine
Obituary
Jean-Paul Olivier Joseph Lemoine, our beloved popa, pépère and arrière-grand-père, passed away peacefully with his wife and family by his side on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Jean-Paul was born on September 28, 1946, in St. Norbert, Manitoba, then moved to Ste. Anne when he was 2 and a half.
JP spent most of his life in Ste. Anne, where married the love of his life, Irène Dufresne. They lived in his childhood home with their three children: Nathalie, Colin and Eric. For 32 years he taught in different schools in the area.
As a loving husband and father, family meant everything to JP. The Lemoine home was the hub for countless wonderful family gatherings. Christmas Eve was always a highlight, topped off the next morning with JP’s delicious crêpes and sucre a crême, complete with a cup of Tim Hortons coffee (JP’s favourite). For Easter, there was always an epic outdoor Easter egg hunt spanning the entire 2.5 acre property. Family get togethers usually involved multiple activities, games and music – baseball, Bocce ball, golf, skating on the Seine River and cross-country skiing on trails right outside the family home.
For many years, the family enjoyed memorable summers at St. Malo. JP was known throughout the park for inventing the Skinny Dipper, a floating dock with a small electric motor for the family to cruise around the lake, soaking up the summer sunshine. Arguably one of JP’s greatest inventions!
He was always willing to lend a hand. He loved to build and fix things, and not always by the book – broche à foin!
JP was part of many organizations, including Les Blés au vent, a Franco-Manitoban choir. He loved music and singing and shared his voice at many concerts and events, including Festival du Voyageur and Bière et Saynète (Beer and Skits). Elvis and Willie Nelson were among his favourites.
While he loved to sing, his gift of gab and storytelling lit up any room. He always had a tale to tell and treasured to hear news from family and friends.
JP and Irène enjoyed many adventures together: camping, hiking, cycling, gardening, making couronnes de Noël (Christmas wreaths). One of their more remarkable feats was cycling together across Europe. They also enjoyed travelling with their grandchildren to Banff, Ottawa, Toronto, Cuba and Florida.
On May 26, JP and Irène celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary, looking at photos, watching videos and listening to Anne Murray’s ‘Can I have this dance for the rest of my life.’ JP and Irène loved dancing in their kitchen to this song (and many others). Two days later, JP passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his wife and family.
Left to cherish JP’s memory are his wife Irène, daughter Nathalie (Robert), son Colin (Tamara), and son Eric (Jolene), as well as grandchildren Justin (Taylor), Tristan (Sydney), Callie, Dannie, Joe, Sage and great-grandchild August.
JP will also be sorely missed by large extended families as well as many friends.
The memorial service will be held on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., at Birchwood Funeral Chapel.
The family would like to thank the dedicated palliative team at South Eastman Health along with the oncology team at CancerCare Manitoba for their support during this difficult time.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like to encourage everyone to consider donating blood. JP received the gift of additional precious time with his family because of blood donations. We are so incredibly grateful.
