Obituary of Lucien Tremblay

Lucien Tremblay was born October 20th, 1931 in McLennan Alberta, the third of seven children to Blanche and Luc Tremblay. He spent his early years in McLennan and Spirit River, and later moved with his family to Mile 22 of the Alaska Highway during the war. Near the age of 14 he moved to Dawson Creek and attended school at Notre Dame while working with his father. Lucien loved fishing, hunting, curling and was a great runner and although he may not always have been the most avid pupil, Sister Ernest found a way to channel all that energy and taught him ball room dancing. He excelled in this activity and performed on stage with other students. Lucien went on to complete his commercial diploma program and graduated in 1952. After graduation he continued working with his father at Tremblay Sand and Gravel for many years. Although he worked long hours in the business, there was still time to pursue one of his favourite pass times….dancing!! This love of dancing took both him and his good buddy Lou Wickberg across the Peace River to attend community dances and visit mutual friends where he eventually met the love of his life…Sally Krapp. He purchased his first new car, a 1958 Metropolitan and began a serious courtship. Lucien and Sal were married October 13th, 1958 and never one to waste time, their first child Rene was born nine months later. Just 13 short months after Rene, on August 8th, 1960, they had a baby girl Denise. Their third child Steve was born April 9th, 1962. During this time Lucien Remained working at Tremblay Sand and Gravel. His spare time was dedicated to enjoying his family, taking them camping and initiating them in some of his favourite pass times of hunting and fishing. The baby of the family Armand was born July 5th, 1966 and their family of four was complete. Lucien always had such pride in all of his children and the family unit both he and Sal built was strong and enduring throughout the years. He was both the biggest fan and the greatest coach for each of them throughout their years of curling, baseball, lacrosse, and running. He was always there where support was needed, and yes he spent many years on weekend hunting trips with the boys, but made sure he showed equal support for his only girl and would even show up and sit through and all girls fashion show. He was the neighbourhood dad for many years! The Tremblay house was the teenage place to hang out for Rene, Denise, Steve, Armand and all their various friends. They had the first prerequisite….A BASEMENT, where everyone could hang out, and the second, a parent who was always there to listen, give advice but never judge. Lucien enjoyed spending time with teenagers and they all enjoyed his open minded attitude and wise ear. When the kids grew up, got married and had families of their own the support continued. Every grandchild was made to feel special and equally loved by both Lucien and Sal. They were always present for sporting events, Christmas concerts, birthday parties and later, Graduation. Lucien's handy man skills were constantly being put to use as he would always offer a helping hand when ever needed. If you were painting the house, renovating, building a go cart for the kids, or farming, he was always there to help out. One of Lucien's sayings throughout life was "when it's too tough for everyone else, it's just right for me". This really portrayed throughout his illness, he maintained such a positive attitude and was very thankful for everything in his life. He exhibited a great amount of strength, faith and even humour. It was important to him to be well groomed at all times. Throughout life, Lucien showed us how to live with faith, practise forgiveness, never be afraid to show affection, and to make family your first priority in life. Although he may not always have agreed with every decision made, and was sure to have an opinion, he was always supportive and accepting. How do we sum up our thoughts of one of the most important men in our lives? That is who Lucien has been to each one of us. Our life is made of both the experiences we have and the people we meet along the way, we were lucky enough to have a great example in Lucien and he has shaped all our lives in many ways. Although we will always miss having him near, both our memories and the impact he has made in our lives will remain with us forever. Lucien was predeceased by both of his parents, Luc and Blanche Tremblay, and his eldest brother Gerald Tremblay. He is survived by his wife Sal Tremblay, his children; Rene (Terri) Tremblay, Denise (Randy) Soderquist, Steve (Judy) Tremblay and Armand (Rhonda) Tremblay, 12 grandchildren, brothers; John (Mariette) Tremblay, Steve (Lucette) Tremblay, Sisters; Mary Tremblay, Carmen (Burke) McInerney, Irene (Walter) Arsenault, brothers-in-law; Frank (Martha) Krapp, and Fred Krapp, sister-in-law; Pauline (Lyle) Gerwien, and numerous nieces and nephews. A funeral service was held on December 13th, 2007 from the Notre Dame Catholic Church. Fr. Michael Anyasoro officiated. Interment was held at the Brookside Cemetery. Funeral Arrangements were under the care of Reynars Funeral Home & Crematorium, Dawson Creek, B.C.