Shirley Contois

Good morning, elders, family, and friends. My name is Dennis Michael Contois and I am Shirley’s last living son. The family would like to welcome and thank everyone who made my mother’s final years comfortable; filled with a profound sense of love, patience and respect. Among these is my sister Theresa who looked after my mother for over 20 years, ensuring that mom received the care and attention that she required. It is your efforts that gave our mother a long and meaningful life. I want to thank Meena for the care that she provided for our mother over many years. I also want to thank the staff at VGH for the care they provide to the very end.

My mother was born on June 18th, 1931, on Long Plain Reserve in Manitoba. She was 94 years young and raised over 20 children in her time on earth. She leaves behind many children, grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren and the countless others whose lives she touched. They were together for over 33 years.

My mother met my father Alexander after he returned as a POW in Nagasaki for 44 months. Alexander also served in the Korean conflict. They got married in 1959 and would have 9 children together, eventually settling in Winnipeg, Manitoba. My mother’s greatest joy, besides bingo, was washing clothes in the basement. It brought her comfort knowing that she was keeping her children clean. My mother never bought herself anything, everything went to the kids.

My mother and father were both residential school survivors and provided the foundation and values that have guided me and many others throughout our life. I remember as a teenagers how my mother helped a little native girl with money to take her puppy home because the bus driver couldn’t let the puppy on the bus. That was a lesson in the beauty of the Indian way. Generosity, caring, kindness, sharing. It still makes me emotional when I think of it. The creator could not have given me better parents who helped us actualize our dreams. The only way I can pay them back is by living a good life and helping people the way they did all their lives. They provided an example on how to live, love, learn and laugh.

You will be missed mom, more than you’ll ever know. There is no word for “good-bye” in Anishnaabe. So I will say “until we meet again”. I love you mom, and thank you for teaching me how to live and providing a positive role model to emulate. Again, thanks everyone for coming to celebrate my mother Shirley’s life. Thank you.

For those who are unable to attend Shirley's service in person please follow the link below.

https://funeraweb.tv/diffusions/128823