ELAINE (MARY EDITH) PAQUETTE December 16, 1931 – February 15, 2020

ELAINE (MARY EDITH)
PAQUETTE
December 16, 1931 – February 15, 2020
Elaine (Mary Edith) Paquette passed away quietly of natural causes at 6:30 pm on Saturday, February 15, 2020 in Kitchener, Ontario. Elaine was born on December 16, 1931, the third of four children to Charles and Mary Paquette, Howard, Jack, Elaine and then Earl. The family lived through the Great Depression and WW2, Charles and Howard volunteered in North Bay and served all six years of the war in Europe. Charles purchased Mac’s Bakery in Gore Bay in 1949 and that was where Elaine had the greatest years of her life. She met Dave Hayward and they had three children, Valerie born 1953 (spouse John Gibson), Keith born 1955 (spouse Ann Ditchfield) and Cyndy born 1956 (spouse Syd Gerhardt, deceased). During her years on the Island, Elaine was involved in curling, many performances at the Community Hall as well as teaching water safety at Tobacco Lake. The family spent many wonderful years at the Pavillion. Elaine’s working career was a varied one. She was employed in the banking sector, the educational system as a high school teacher and worked for the municipal government in Southern Ontario. Her retirement offered Elaine the opportunity to travel, enjoy summers at her trailer and spend time with her seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She also volunteered for various organizations but her favourite one was knitting hats and booties for premature babies and donating them to the neonatal units at local hospitals. Memorial service will be held at Henry Walser Funeral Home on May 30, 2020 at 570 Franklin Street, Kitchener, Ontario at 1 pm, visitation is at 11:30 am. Messages for the family can be sent to the funeral home website. On July 20, 2020, there will be a private family burial in Gore Bay followed by a reception at the Gore Bay Legion from 1-3 pm.