MARIE KARLEEN GAYLA SUSAN LACHANCE (NÉE HEISLER) October 10, 1946 – February 10, 2018

MARIE KARLEEN GAYLA SUSAN LACHANCE (NÉE HEISLER) October 10, 1946 – February 10, 2018 It is with profound sadness that the family of Marie Karleen Gayla Susan Lachance (nee Heisler) announce that she left this earth to let Eagle take her to the spirit world in the early morning hours of February 10th, 2018 with her loving husband by her side. Karleen was born in Bridgewater Nova Scotia on October 10th, 1946 to parents George Andrew Heisler and Marie Elizabeth Karleen Gisèle Heisler (nee Seguin) both predeceased. She is survived by her husband Lou Lachance, brother Andrew Heisler, sister Norlynne Heisler, son O’Shea Daley, step daughters Renée Lachance-Chartrand (Marc Chartrand), Mélanie Lachance (Jeremy Mott), and Danielle Lachance (Christiaan Mainguy). She will be deeply missed by her step grandchildren Page, Anik, Hunter, Gallagher, and Augustin. Karleen earned a B.A from McMaster University and completed four years in fine arts at the University of Ottawa. In addition to the arts, she received numerous certificates in Therapeutic Family Mediation, Advanced Mediation, Legal Natural Language Processing, and First Aid. Karleen was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, adding to her long list of qualifications, Reiki Master Practitioner, Language and Art instructor, CPR Instructor, Ski instructor, and Dog obedience trainer. She was a fashion model for years on and off in the Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto areas. Her adult years were spent in Calgary, Trenton (Michigan), Milton, and Burlington before moving to her final destination in Spring Bay, Manitoulin Island. Early in life, she came to terms with her psychic ability and decided to pursue it. She founded her company, Centre of Light in 1984. She conducted her self-designed courses such as Quest for Balance, Healing Touch, Auras, Drumming Circle, Law of Attraction, Vision Quest, Women’s Healing Circles and several other courses at the Omega Book Store in Toronto and at her own bookstore in Milton. She went on to teach these courses at Mohawk College. Her mission in life was to help others in a spiritual manner through counselling, healing, mediation and meditation. With her peaceful smile, she was a guiding light to many clients, some of them international. Karleen and her soul mate and husband, Lou (Lucien T. Lachance) met on Manitoulin Island in late August 2003 and married on July 4th 2004. She loved her home on the Island and always referred to it as her paradise. One of her favorite pastimes was to utter her special whistle thereby arousing our two cats in going for a walkabout down one of the roads on the property. Karleen’s talents were endless, including drawing, painting, sewing, and gardening. She was also an avid reader and enjoyed hiking, skiing, traveling, and dancing. She firmly indulged in her Indigenous roots with a great knowledge of her ancestors’ traditions. With her mentor, Darlene Bebonang, she made moccasins, regalia, jewelry and drum bags. She enjoyed hosting smudging, naming and sunrise ceremonies, etc. In August 2005, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non Hodgkin’s Follicular Lymphoma and was told she had four to six weeks to live. Determined that her mission on this earth was far from complete, she suffered through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation and endured countless years of excruciating pain that would exhaust her completely. She also sought alternative help from a naturopath and underwent years of various naturopathic and experimental treatments as she courageously battled cancer for 12 years. After surpassing numerous other extensive medical obstacles, she was finally told that she was in remission in May 2017, thus proving further that she was the epitome of stoic. Through it all, she continued to face life with an unbelievable positive attitude. Her youngest stepdaughter, Danielle, once told her that she was the glue that held the family together. Not long after, in January 2018, Karleen was diagnosed with Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) to which she eventually succumbed. The family wishes to thank the staff and Doctors of Health Sciences North’s South Tower 5th floor and the physio team on the 3rd floor for their positive attitude and gentle care given to Karleen. As per her family’s wishes, she will be cremated with no visitation, rather choosing a celebration of life to be held at a later date this summer. Notification will be sent through Facebook or phone. Please extend our warmest invitation to all friends and family.