Mr. Normand Jules Belanger

      Mr. Normand Jules Belanger was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

      Norm was born on April 29, 1951 at the Sudbury General Hospital in Sudbury, Ontario to Benoit and Antoinette (Cote) Belanger (pre-deceased). He was raised in a French-Canadian family in Sudbury and brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

       Norm was raised with 3 siblings. He had 2 older brothers, Roger (pre-deceased 1961) and Roland, and 1 older sister Rachel. Norm was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sister. He and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Norm was always loyal to his family.

      Norm was a happy child, quick to laugh and smile and very much loved. He developed a variety of interests and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. He played baseball and one memory was when he was 12, playing catcher, he stood up while the batter was still swinging and got his front tooth knocked out. Norm loved his time at the family camp on Whitson Lake, where he spent his summers, swimming and just enjoying the outdoors. What Norm enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his family and many friends.

      Though school wasn't Norm's favorite thing, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. Norm went to french school until grade 11, then transferred to the English program. He belonged to the French club, mainly so he could go to Quebec City carnival. He also wrote for the High School newspaper and often got in trouble with the principle for his "opinions" which were often anti-establishment. Norm enjoyed learning about factual information. He always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him. Norm graduated from Sudbury High School in 1970.

Following his high school graduation, Norm being adventurous, spent a year traveling across Canada and the United States, ending up in Ottawa where his brother Roland resided. During this one year of traveling he met many friends and had plenty of stories to tell about his adventures.

     While in Ottawa Norm attended Algonquin College, graduating with a diploma in Business Administration in 1973.

Following graduation Norm set out to return to BC, one of his favorite spots from his travels across Canada. On the way he stopped in Toronto to visit an old friend and once there he hooked up with Louise (whom he knew from Sudbury). After a few months in Toronto, Norm wanted to continue his plans of moving to BC and took Louise with him.

        On October 13, 1973 Norm exchanged wedding vows with Louise Mary Michelutti at St. Michael's RC Church in McLeod Lake, a chapel on an Indian Reservation outside MacKenzie, BC where he and Louise were living at the time. Compassionate and devoted to Louise, Norm held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment and was a source of strength to Louise.

Shortly after their marriage, Louise and Norm moved to Vancouver for 2 years and then onto Calgary where they spent most of their life working and raising their family.

     Norm was blessed with 3 children; Michelle, Daniel (Pre-deceased 1999), and Diane; and 2 grandchildren, Caden and Kayla.  Norm brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation.

      Norm greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was efficient, one who paid careful attention to detail, and always met his dead-lines. He was involved in the print and graphic arts industry for the past 31 years, starting his own business, NJB Communications 13 years ago. Norm worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Since he enjoyed his private time, Norm always tried to allocate a specific time for his hobbies. He enjoyed computers and reading in his spare time. Norm was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Norm was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Norm was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Norm to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. Norm was easy-going and made many friends throughout his stages in life. Some he remained in touch with, others moved on, but they all meant something to him at that time in his life. In his adult life he had many friends, but his closest for the past few years was Steve Whitehall.

      Many organizations were grateful to have Norm as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Norm was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He knew exactly what needed to be done. Norm was an active member of the Alberta Graphic Arts Industry Network (AGAIN) and the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen (IAPHC) He held many positions on the board, both locally and internationally. He was International Chairman in 2003-4.

      Norm sought out practical solutions, not individual recognition. He was always grounded and objective, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for taking care of what needed to be done. This selfless attitude earned Norm many accolades for his efforts and achievements. Some of his most prestigious awards included Bud Fargey Award, Craftsman of the Year and Governor of the Year, only to name a few. He received many awards and honorary mentions through his hard and dedicated work with AGAIN and IAPHC.

      Norm enjoyed traveling and taking vacations, always meeting new people on the way. He particularly liked driving vacations where he could explore the country and it's many sights. Some of his favorite vacations were a cross Canada trip to PEI, an Alaskan cruise and a vacation to Italy. He loved warm climates, which he got to experience, living 2 years in the Cayman Islands.

      Mr. Normand Jules Belanger passed away on December 9, 2007 at Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta from pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife Louise, children Michelle (Robert Gossen) and Diane (Landon Fabbricino) and grandchildren Caden and Kayla Fabbricino.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Mr. Normand Jules Belanger. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

Memorial Service

As given by Bonnie Roddis

Dec. 12, 2007

We have gathered together today to say goodbye, thank you and we love you to a truly gentle and caring man of family, Normand Jules Belanger.

Norm as he was lovingly known was born April 29, 1951 in Sudbury, Ontario and he passed softly from your loving presence on December 9, 2007. At the time of his passing Norm was surrounded in family love – in just the same way that he had lived his life. Some would say his life’s journey was all too brief – certainly those who loved and needed him, those who called him family, or friend or mentor. But that was not Norm’s view. To him, his journey had been one of adventure, happiness, achievement, success, survival, love and fulfillment. To quote Norm, “Wow, and what a ride!” These were terms he had used to sum up his 56 years among us.

It was Norm's wish that our time together today not be drawn out, rather that we have our time to acknowledge his significance and then move on to the good time of sharing good food and conversation. So we shall try to honor his wishes, and yet we could speak of this kind honorable man for hours and still have stories a plenty go untold.

Norm was the baby of the family, the last child born to his beloved parents Ben and Antoinette. He shared life, humor and a safe loving traditional home with Mom and Dad, 3 beloved siblings, Roger, Roland and Rachel. The Belanger family were well grounded and enjoyed a busy home life. They were fortunate to grow up in the same house throughout their important formative years. Dad Ben was a social worker whose territory was Northern Ontario. Antoinette of course worked before having children and once little Norm was off to school she again joined the work force. Home life was basic, solid and good and all of the Belanger children were loved, valued and celebrated for the strong intelligent individuals they were.

Ben and Antoinette’s children were raised with strong traditional values and they built their lives on that rock solid foundation that their parents set down. Faith, togetherness, honesty, integrity, respect and a strong sense of belonging were all important life lessons. A strong work ethic was learned, as were most of the children’s life lessons, by observing their parent’s fine examples. Sadly, Norm was predeceased by his brother Roger in 1961 and by his parents in 2000 and 2002. During the years they shared together however they made wonderful indelible memories together, that were dearly treasured by all concerned.

Perhaps some of the most colorful and memorable moments in time were times spent at camp; or at the cottage on weekends. There each child could easily indulge in their favorite activities while still being a very important part of family times as well. As I spoke with Norm’s family yesterday his brother Roland spoke fondly of those adventures. There was always a boat of some sort and Roland mentioned that in his opinion Norm was a good sailor. He also said that Norm loved the water and that he was an excellent swimmer. Often he and his sister Rachel would swim across the lake to the store.

Roland spoke of cherished memories of listening to the rain on the roof of the cabin, of watching thunderstorms come across the lake. There were memories of blueberry picking and hikes and large bonfires at night, nightly dinner conversations – not just at the cabin, were interesting, defining and lively; a strong part of family tradition as well. Roland was of course, a little older than Norm and more vastly experienced in life by 5 years and he saw it as his role to prepare Norm for life. Norm of course saw it as being picked on and his beloved sister Rachel often stepped in as protector. In spite of those childish moments it was obvious as I spoke with Roland that he and Norm had a strong and loving bond as family, as brothers. It was made very clear to me that Roland has the deepest respect for the man that his little brother became and over time they have even shared living quarters. First Norm with Roland in Ottawa and then Roland here in Calgary with Norm and his family. The love and respect is clear, but there was also a strong note of protectiveness as well in Roland’s words and in his subtle manner letting me know that today is about honoring his brother and his wishes.

Education was of course an important thing in the Belanger household and Norm completed his high school in Sudbury. In high school he eventually changed to the English curriculum. Norm of course was bilingual. He had always had a dream of studying law. That dream was to remain unfulfilled, yet never pined over. By the end of Norm’s high school the hippy culture had become a worldwide phenomenon and Norm embraced the rebellion and philosophies to a certain degree. He took time to travel, to experience life by traveling across the United States. He bought a car and began an adventure that took a year to complete. He even traveled to Vancouver and along the west coast. In California he stayed with monks. Mexico wouldn’t admit him. His appearance, a long haired hippy look was not to their liking apparently. That trip was only one huge adventure. For Norm there would be other adventures, all equally as defining in their own right.

Returning home and still restless Norm would eventually enroll in the Algonquin College Business Administration courses and he worked hard to graduate. It would be on one of his routine trips to Sudbury during his college days that Norm would meet a lovely, young and spirited girl who would change his life completely. He met Louise through a mutual friend. They were all gathered together in a bar. They chatted and they found an ease of conversation that was unfamiliar with others. In the end Norm bought her a drink: Louise was studying Nursing and would be going back to school in Toronto soon. They left with a "call me" remark; Norm did call when he and a friend were on their way through Toronto on his dream quest of living in Vancouver. The call turned into a job, and staying in Toronto for a few months, during that time a warm and caring bond of friendship developed between Norm and Louise.

When the time came to head west Louise was there beside this handsome man who had taken her heart. Instead of hitching to Vancouver, they had a big old LTD. And now, on the advice of a friend, they were heading for McKenzie in northern BC, not Vancouver, to earn a quick fortune. Then it would be off to Vancouver. Louise got a job nursing, Norm worked in a lumber mill. But expenses were so high there weren’t going to be any riches. Eggs in Vancouver were 50 cents a dozen. They were over twice that in McKenzie.

Sharing a life in Northern BC was exciting and challenging and eventually the day came when Louise and Norm knew they were going to marry. Their wedding was like their lives up until that point – somewhat unconventional. They actually married in a little chapel in McLeod, BC. They waited together in the cold October weather while the priest went to get a key from someone else. Their friends that stood up for them brought along a little Kodak Instamatic camera and for each momentous picture everyone doffed their winter coats and then went on.

Following the wedding both Mr. and Mrs. Belanger went home and to work at their respective jobs. Their honeymoon was actually to last 34 years, the length of their marriage. They grew from casual acquaintances, to friends, to a romance, and to marriage. Even though they may not have known how right these two were for each other fate did. And fate eventually brought them to a point that not all married people reach – they became best friends for life.

Both Norm and Louise have shared countless blessings through their years together. The greatest were their children. Michelle was born in 1974 in Burnaby. Not long after, this little family moved to Calgary seeking more opportunity. Here Daniel, their beloved son, was born in 1976. In 1980, Diane would arrive to happily complete this particular branch of the Belanger family tree. Norm was an honorable, faithful husband, a caring sensitive and intuitive life partner who was dearly loved and appreciated. But he was also an awesome Dad. His children knew how deeply they were loved, valued and cherished. Not always because Norm said so, more because he showed them everyday through his caring, support and his laid back way of handling daily life with three uniquely strong and creative children. As a father – a dad – Norm was always there. Calm, solid, enduring, supportive, understanding, an outstanding example, a role model for his children.

He worked hard as a provider. He would be employed by several prestigious firms here in Calgary during his work career, but it wasn’t until he became involved in the printing and graphic arts industry that he found his passion. Norm loved to learn and with each new facet of the industry he learned more. And with knowledge came advancement, promotion and more opportunity to gain knowledge. And in turn the opportunity to share that knowledge with those around him. His natural nurturing easy nature made him a highly valued and appreciated co-worker. To the companies that he worked for he was always involved, effective, efficient and instrumental. In time he joined an organization particular to the graphic arts industry, the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen (IAPCH) and their local chapter aGain. He volunteered for various positions and was always highly regarded for his time, energy, enthusiasm and encouragement. In time he would be inducted as Chairman of the IAPHC, and that happened on a cruise to Alaska with his dearly beloved family. This cruise was typical of Norm. It was his gift of togetherness to his family following Diane and Landon’s wedding.

Gifts, that was what Norm was all about. Oh not necessarily the kind that come in bright packages and ribbons. His gifts were of himself, his generosity of spirit, time and acceptance. His gifts were seeing you as you are and accepting you whole heartedly as that special person that you are, gifted in your own right. Norm’s gift to his girls was to share that gene of creativity. They have both followed in their father’s footsteps and have embraced the same industry with the same passion and determination to do the best they can at what they do. He and Michelle have shared computer time, space, clients and unforgettable moments. He and Diane have shared the commonality of business, but also the joy of life as parents. Diane has shared Caden and Kayla with her Mom and Dad and she has cherished memories of watching Nonno (Norm) down on the floor playing cars and Lego, playing toys with Caden. Showing him all the possibilities of the toys, how the game of life works.

Memories are of course another of Norm’s wonderful gifts. Mr. Fix-it from cars to dryers, doors and squeaky things, and even uncertainties of the heart, Norm was always there to help with it all - steady, stoic, solid.

Tragically, Louise and Norm lost their dearly beloved son Daniel in 1999 at the tender age of 23. Far too soon, far too suddenly, but once again Norm was accepting of what life, fate, had sent them. He was a rock for Louise, supportive and understanding, her sounding board. But he was also a dad who had lost his son. That father-son bond was incredibly important to both of them. Being in a house with such a strong female influence they shared a male perspective. When Daniel was being a typical boy, noisy, messy and a creative character, dad was there providing understanding, unconditional love, support to both Louise and Daniel and the gift of insight into a body or young mans life, desires, and reasons for doing things the way they do. Daniel’s hockey was his passion and the whole family often turned out to support him. But Norm was always there. Being there, present for his family was one of the first things mentioned to me about Norm. Norm didn’t have the skills to coach his son’s team, but he was there as score keeper, cheering and encouraging and again volunteering to help in any way. He was sometimes treasurer, sometimes manager, always the “go to guy” for whatever anyone needed. A solid role model for everyone involved with the team, adults and children alike. Norm Belanger was an unassuming man of his community. A man whose motto of “share your knowledge” applied to both business and home life. A gift to be sure.

As you know Norm was a man who was considered a friend by many. He was the “go to guy” both in his personal life and on the job. His gift was in being a good listener, caring, accepting and calm and he shared that gift with everyone who needed it. He was a man who was truly a confidante. You could tell him anything and know you would never be judged, just accepted and buoyed up. Today we have a gift for Norm. It is in the form of a song he actually chose. It is definitely appropriate from family and friends alike and we would like to offer it in tribute now to this remarkable man. “You Raise me Up” by Josh Groban.

Few of us face death, our own, more than once. For Norm and Louise they faced death in paradise, Hurricane Ivan on the Cayman Islands. But as is so typical of their gift of 34 years as husband and wife, they shared what should have been terrifying moments, calmly, quietly, accepting what fate had brought to them that day. They had only recently come back from their Alaska cruise with Michelle and Rob, Diane and Landon. Norm had been inducted as chairman into IAPHC. They had shared months on this picturesque island. Both Norm and Louise had fulfilling and interesting jobs, a loving family. And they sat quietly together tallying up their score card. Perhaps it was the thought that they might soon be joining Daniel that was so comforting in the face of horrendous wind and waves. Perhaps it was coming to quietly realize that they were together to the end, just like those vows said so long ago on that cold October day. Or perhaps it was knowing that they had done it all together and well and no regrets. What ever the reason, immanent death was calmly spoken of and their lives and memories were carefully and gratefully reviewed. That time, just a moment in time compared to eternity, was in perhaps many ways the best day of their lives and is now a cherished gift of memories.

Throughout his journey, Norm has faced life with enthusiastic acceptance, curiosity, determination, and his own unique philosophies. He has shared and had hopes, dreams, love, challenges, children, friendships, success and losses and through it all he has remained loveable, helpful, dignified and fun. He has been a dearly beloved son, brother, husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather – or Nonno – and friend. Norm was influential and significant and he shall be deeply missed and fondly remembered. He and Louise have shared so much during their journey together – Italy, family, a hurricane. He has been a friend, lover, protector, partner and he is unforgettable.

Normand Jules Belanger was raised in the Catholic faith. He was a person of deeply private beliefs and spiritualism. He was a good person in thought and deed. A respectful and loving son who brought honor to his family name. He was a caring and loving brother who is appreciated and respected. Norm was an exemplary, non-judgmental father, loving and supportive, a neat son-in-law who loved and valued his second family. He was a man with a strong work ethic who did his best every day. A man whose life was a gift to those who shared in it. A man who has given far more in life than he has taken. A man who will be remembered fondly and spoken appreciatively and respectfully in the years to come.

Please bow your hears and let us say the Lord’s Prayer.

There are so many words that fit Norm.

Here is a quote from Robert Louis Stevenson.

He might have known him.

"To have lived well, laughed often and loved much;

To have gained the respect of intelligent man and the love of children;

To have filled a niche and accomplished a task;

To have left the world better by an improved poppy, a perfect poem or a rescued soul;

To have appreciated earth's beauty and not failed to express it;

To have looked for the best in others;

And to have given the best of yourself;

That is achievement."

That is Norm Belanger

Letter from his wife

Normand 1951-2007

Norm was a good and kind-hearted person.

He was a philosopher, a mentor, a teacher, a father figure, a problem-solver. People always looked up to him and he was always there to listen and offer advice if needed. He never judged people or spoke ill of them, he was often noted to say “who are we to judge”. He listened and advised.

He was Mr. fix-it and was always volunteering his time to help others. (Or more often than not, I was volunteering him to help). There are quite a few computer illiterates out there floundering and people in possession of unassembled furniture, since he has died.

He was very involved with the Association of Printing House Craftsmen, on the local level and the International level. He held many positions on the board including president in 2003. He always gave 110% and believed in the motto “Share Your Knowledge”. Norm was awarded International Chairman of the Year post-hummus for all his hard work for the club.

How he accepted his impending death, best explains the type of person he was. When told of his cancer and prognosis, there was no anger or fear, just acceptance. He apologized to me for his impending departure, saying this would be harder on me than him. He felt he was letting me down.

He had no regrets in life and said he had done everything he wanted to do.

He was continually comforting me, saying things like:

One of us would be going through this sooner or later; it would be unusual for both of us to die together. We just have to deal with this now rather than in 5 years, or 10 or 20.

It would be nice if we could all live to be 80, but life isn’t like that.

It was his time and we all have our time. He proceeded to prepare me and make things as easy as possible. He taught me to do on-line banking, how to put oil in the lawn mower and weed-eater, how to maintain the car, etc, to do all the chores he did. He taught our daughter his business and computer skills, preparing us to move on without him. His last 3 months on earth were spent thinking of others and making things easier for them for when he was gone.

One always hears the saying “he lived life to the fullest” Well Norm did.

When an opportunity arose he took it. Six years ago we sold most of our possessions, our home, cars, furniture, etc and moved to the Cayman Islands for 2 ½ years. What ended our stay there was Hurricane Ivan.

The reason I am including this tidbit about our life, is again it shows who Norm is, by these life experiences. We were in our home at sea level when the Hurricane, level 5 hit. There was a 20 foot ocean surge, our door blew in, our ceiling was collapsing and we were submerged in 5 feet of dirty water for 12 hours. At a point during this time, we realized there was a good chance we would not survive. The water kept rising and the winds were up to 350 miles per hour and we were stranded, Norm was very calming and talked about our life together, how great it was, despite its ups and downs, joys and tragedies. We discussed death then, and were prepared if this was our time. We did make it out and despite having lost everything, Norm’s true nature came out helping in anyway he could. We were homeless, with only the clothes on our backs, no electricity or running water. (as was most of the island). As I whined in 100o temperatures with 100% humidity and mosquitoes everywhere, with no AC or fans, Norm took everything in stride and set about taking care of things for everyone.

He was a leader and organizer and kept a positive attitude.

Believe it or not this turned out to be one of our best adventures.

From this experience we learned that material things mean nothing.

What are important are our friends, life and health. Memories are in our hearts not the bauble or material object.

Norm was my strength and support, my best friend for 34 years.

My grief is selfish: I feel sorry for me having to carry on without my best friend, his support and strength.

Love you forever

Louise

Letter from his daughters

Our Dad was a very special person.

He seemed to know everything and how to fix anything.

We could go to him with any of our problems and he knew the answer or how to fix it. He would amaze us with his knowledge.

We followed the paths in life we did because of his guidance and patience.

We will miss his presence and long discussions.

Love you and miss you

Michelle and Diane