On May 24th, Micheline Gill slipped away peacefully into the arms of God to be with her beloved husband, Jimmy.
Born in Belgium after the 1st World War, Micheline lived through the 2nd. She endured the invasion and occupation of her homeland. After the war, she met and married the love of her life, Jimmy. They lived in France and Germany and worked with the Allies in the aftermath of that war, before immigrating in 1957. They immersed themselves in their lives in Canada, while never forgetting their roots in Europe.
Micheline lived a full and rich life. At 101 years old, she was the eldest member of the Belgium community in Canada. Her tastes were richly diverse but always discriminating. She was passionate for sports such as tennis, soccer, and Formula 1. She loved Opera and she knew more about Wagner than anyone had the right to know. She adored theatre and literature. She retained the optimism and enthusiasm of youth. She never grew old. When on her 90th birthday Christopher Gaze compared her to a summer’s day, she was transformed again into a radiant 19-year-old girl with a life of promise ahead of her. That was the Micheline we knew.
Micheline loved the finer things of life. She loved good food, and her daily glass of Stella Artois. She was a model of elegance at all times until the end.
Beside her demanding professional life, she was an active member of the Francophone community. She was elected president of the Alliance Française of Vancouver and received the “Ordre des Palmes Académiques“ from the French government in recognition of her valuable service.
Micheline had many friends and was a loyal friend to many.
She lived a life full of faith. To the very end, she kept that faith and embraced it. It gave meaning to her life.
We, her friends, thank the staff and doctors at South Granville Park Lodge and St. Paul’s Hospital for their kindness and compassion in the last two years of her life. We thank Micheline for the gifts of grace, optimism and enthusiasm she gave to us.
Funeral mass at St. Mark’s Church (5935 Iona Drive, Vancouver) on Wednesday, June 8 at 10am and burial at Garden of Gethsemane Cemetery at a later date. Condolences can be left at www.kearney.com.