Joyce Winnifred La Rocque

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Joyce LaRocque (nee Keach) on September 29, 2022. She left this world peacefully, surrounded by her family.

Joyce will be remembered and sadly missed by her four children: Louise (Stephen), Robert, Michelle, and Gisèle. She delighted in her seven grandchildren: Joanne (Jason), Adam (Stefanie), Colleen (Sean), Chantal (Denny), Cameron, and their mother Cécile, Gillian (James), and Stephane (Thao); and her twelve great-grandchildren: Janelle, Patrick, Ciaran, Sarah, Simon, Sasha, Liv, Remington, Hazel, Jade, Aspen, and Jim.

She will also be mourned by her sister Betty Guzar, her brother Richard Keach (Linda), her brother-in-law Louis La Rocque, her sister-in-law Denise La Rocque as well as her numerous nieces and nephews.

Joyce was born in Winnipeg on April 16, 1930 and spent part of her childhood in Libau until the family moved back to Winnipeg. She was predeceased by her husband Florian "Stoney", her father Edward Keach, and her mother Mary Dolores "Polly" (nee Hughes) as well as her brother Edward and his wife Edie and her brother-in-law Joe Guzar (Betty)

In her youth Joyce was employed as a legal secretary for Aronovitch and Leipsic, until she married Stoney in 1952. Before long, Stoney and Joyce settled in Lorette with their four children. Joyce loved cooking, gardening, watching and feeding her birds, taking care of many stray kittens and she even befriended a squirrel named Squirt!

She also really enjoyed knitting. She made caps, mittens and sweaters for all her children and grandchildren and her handiwork survives as heirlooms that are now being passed down to her great grandchildren. She also donated her knitting to the poor, through the church.

The last four years of her life were spent living comfortably with her daughter Michelle where she divided her time between gardening, canning, bird watching, reading and keeping an eye on her grandpuppy Finn.

Finally, the family would like to thank the doctors and staff at Ste. Anne Hospital for their dedicated care and service.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, October 7 , 2022 at Green Acres Funeral Home, Hwy 1 East at Navin Road. For those preferring to join virtually, please click the 'Join Livestream' link in the Services tab below.