Frank "Fridgie" Christopher Gaudreau

Hey Frank- it is your big sister Tammy. You are home little brother, in the Douro church where you took your sacraments. You were baptized right here with your Godparents. You stood right there taking your first communion and confirmation and served on the altar as altar boy. You proudly walked me down that aisle. You stood here at the podium to give Grandma’s eulogy- you were always so good with words, offering comfort and wisdom laced with your great humour. You told the story about grandma getting pulled over by the police for speeding and that the only person who left with a ticket was the police officer – one for the Douro Doings Quilt Raffle she happened to be carrying around in the car. Again you stood here to say goodbye to Uncle Johnny and painted the beautiful picture of him arriving in heaven to stop at the Pearly Gates to ask St. Peter what gauge of steel them there gates were made of. You visited this church many times over the years in your job as a funeral director, looking after all those little details that were such a comfort to the grieving families. You looked so professional and so handsome all dressed up in a suit….and you knew it.

Your old colleagues and friends from Comstock's arranged to bring you home Frank. You will be proud to know you had one of the longest funeral procession ever- 4000 km round trip. Country roads taking you home. God sent the rain to make everything beautiful and green for your trip. I imagine you would have loved every minute of it, you had made that trip so many times. I bet you would have wished you could have driven it one more time in that shiny truck you loved so much. You loved the north and had many friends from here to there. People who shared their home with you while you were away from yours. People you had helped and loved.

When you arrived home you found Mom had planned a great celebration for you. With every small detail looked after from the music to the flowers. She forgot nothing right down to the clean socks you are wearing today. Such is a mother’s love- to worry about things like that. Your niece Holly Bear worked on a beautiful tribute putting together pictures and videos to share at the celebration. So much of it we found on Facebook, it made us smile and laugh and cry. Always the joker. You loved to connect with people through Facebook, always sending messages of love. We are so grateful to have those memories now.

Emily has made the long trip Frank from Sioux Lookout to bring Kam home to the people who loved you and knew you first. You always spoke so fondly of her, you bragged about what an incredible mother she was. You were grateful that she was there for Kam when you couldn’t be. Kam has turned into quite a handsome young man just like his dad. I know how proud of him you are. I know you would love to see Kam and Charlie hanging out together, our boys born only 1 day apart, that cousin bond was so important to you. Last night as a family we received friends and family at the funeral home you used to work in. Kam brought your guitar home Frank. He knew his dad would want it next to him. You loved your music and could make that guitar sing. When you moved from place to place you sometimes needed to leave some things behind, but never that. I remember getting a call from you that you were leaving town and you needed to drop something off at my house. I walked in the front door to find your grandfather clock…yah I am still not sure what to do with it.

Today you were on the road again as you made your way to this church. On the way you passed by grandma and grandpa’s farm where we had those family reunions you loved. You couldn’t wait for the races and were a fierce competitor for those little red ribbons. You weren’t above tripping a cousin or two on the way to the finish line to get one either. The farm is the place you first discovered your love of building, and honed your skills with cousin Jay to build a fort complete with a skylight at the age of 11.

The car slowed next past the house you grew up in and the houses of all the Aunts and Uncles where you played for hours on your Big Wheel or GT snow racer, where you tore up the Douro dirt on your dirt bike with your friends in your “Bad Boys Club” and had to be dragged in the house at night. You drove by the place we waited for the school bus- all 8 cousins. I remember one school morning I decided to pull a prank on you and I got up early and painted your finger nails while you were sleeping. I woke you up one minute before the bus came, I told you I had your lunch and bag ready and we had to run for the bus or we would be late. We tore out of the house and as the bus pulled up you looked down and saw the ruby red polish. By the time I got home from school that day I was a little more than worried about what might be coming my way. But you surprised me. You acted like nothing had happened and offered me the last slice of left over pizza. When I finished eating it you let me know that you had licked it before you put it in the fridge the night before. Sometimes the best way to describe our relationship was survival of the fittest. But we always loved each other no matter what. I know you would have liked to stop there on the Boundary Rd for a little while longer Frank but we had to keep on going.

Next you reached the Douro arena where you played and coached hockey. You loved the game and you were good at it…and you knew it. I remember us laughing at Mom coming to your games wearing a full length fur coat. Try as she may she didn’t really fit in with the other hockey moms. We loved her for it. From the arena you had only a few more kilometers to go.

As the car pulled up to the church, your old school St. Joseph’s Douro was in sight. There were good memories for you there. You were a very intelligent boy, so smart and sometimes just a little too smart with your teachers. Always the class clown. Someone shared with me that you had one particular French teacher who became quite frustrated with your antics and in a very French accent said “Frank take the door” and in true Frank style you proceeded to try to take it from his hinges on your way out.

Finally as you looked away from the school you saw that you were here at the church, your cousins and friend waiting to carry you up the steps you had climbed so many times before. You found your friends and your people waiting in the church for you here Frank, the Gaudreau’s and the Barry’s gathered together for this last celebration of your life. There were times in this life you seemed to be chasing peace Frank. I know that you would want to tell the ones closest to you not to have any regrets, that you are grateful that they were part of your journey and that they helped you find moments of peace and happiness and great joy along the way. The table has been set for the reception later where we will fete in true Irish style with triangle sandwiches and tarts, a guitar and fiddle. Together we will sing you back home.

Today you will climb that stairway to heaven, yes the one you played over and over and over again on your guitar. I know God will be there to welcome you and our dad will be first in line to greet you. It will be a sweet reunion I know for sure. You will have uncles and grandparents there and dear friends you have been missing. And I know you will find peace Frank, everlasting peace. Rest easy little brother you are home. Love you

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Frank grew up in Douro among his many aunts and uncles in a house just off his grandparents farm. His neighborhood friends all close cousins. From a young age he loved playing hockey and later dedicated time to coaching. He was affectionately known as “Fridgie” by his close friends, the name he had inscribed on his toolbox given to him by his Dad Hank. After high school he graduated from Humber College as a licensed Funeral Director and worked at funeral homes in the Peterborough area, Toronto and in Thunder Bay where he met his wife Emilie. Frank became a very proud Dad to Kameron in 2006. Frank and Emilie bought their first home in Thunder Bay which he lovingly restored. The family moved to Sioux Lookout after Emilie graduated from college and with a new home again Frank was knee deep in renovations and loving every minute of it. Frank decided then to begin a new career as an independent building contractor and eventually went into the trades to become a Master Electrician. Frank loved music and lugged his guitar along with him, that one possession he wouldn’t think of leaving behind no matter where he travelled and lived. During his life Frank valued family more than anything else. He was very proud of his Douro roots and the Gaudreau and Barry family in which he was raised. Later in life as he was away working he loved keeping in touch with family and friends on Facebook, posting pictures and favourite songs and sharing old memories. Frank never “liked” something on Facebook, he was quick to comment and tell everyone that he loved and missed them. He was always so proud to post pictures of his son Kameron, the one closest to his heart. He will be missed by his son Kameron Gaudreau, his mother Mary Anne Connor, his sister Tammy Rutter (Michael) and niece and nephew Holly and Charles Horton. Fondly remembered by Emilie, his aunts and uncles and many cousins.