Yolande Cecile Bilodeau Harvey

Yolande Cecile Bilodeau Harvey (87) is resting in peace with the Lord after suffering several years with declining health due to dementia and cancer. She died peacefully at home the morning of May 4, 2013 in the presence of some of her family.

Yolande was born in Lewiston, Maine on October 18, 1925 to French Canadian parents. In 1947, she married a sailor from Crawfordville, Florida and departed for the south and warmer weather. She lived and raised four daughters in Tallahassee until 1966 when she moved further south to Cocoa and Rockledge. During her lifetime, she worked in shoe factories, shoe stores, helped run her husband’s business from home, owned and ran several Laundromats as well as being a homemaker, mother and grandmother. She loved to sew, cook, play cards and Bingo, she enjoyed music and dancing and traveling to Maine frequently. She loved God, her church and her Catholic faith. She will be remembered for her strong faith, laughter and great sense of humor.

She is predeceased by her husband, John Wendell Harvey and her parents Alphonse Bilodeau and Gratia Picard Bilodeau and several brothers and sisters. She is survived by three sisters: Murial Fontaine, Jacqueline (Fern) Baril and Gilberte (Lucien) Baril and one brother, Raymond Bilodeau (Carmel), all of Lewiston/Auburn, Maine and numerous nieces and nephews.

She is also survived by four daughters: Linda (Chuck) Husbands of Lloyd, Fl; Jacqueline (Gunnar) Karvik of Kallby, Sweden; Loraine Taylor of Merritt Island, Fl. and Trish Dennis of Rockledge, Fl. She leaves behind eight grandchildren: David (Michelle) Husbands, Nicholas (Sommer) Husbands, Daniel Karvik, Lena (Martin) Karvik, Bobby (Kristy) Brackett, Adam (Misty) Brackett , Sherry (Tom) Houston and Rick Musick and two step-grandsons, Tony Husbands and Bill (Angel) Husbands. She is blessed with sixteen great-grandchildren: Tricia Claire Quinsey, Cearra and Morgan Husbands, Mackenzie Shearan, Rylie and Taylin Husbands, Olivia and Wilheim Karvik, Austin, Katelyn and Garrett Brackett, Aleigh Turney, Gerald Turner, Makaila Brackett, Taylor Yancey and Jake Houston.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Alzheimer Project, 301 East Tharpe Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32303 or Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308.

A visitation will be held Monday, May 13th from 6-8 pm at Faith Viera Lutheran in Viera, Florida. The funeral will be held on Tuesday May 14th at 11 am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Rockledge, Florida, with the burial to follow at Florida Memorial Gardens.

Florida Memorial Funeral home will be handling all arrangements.