Louise Marie Rousseau

She was born on December 8, 1958, in Melville, Saskatchewan. Her father, Paul Emile Rousseau, was a noted Canadian politician, who married her mother Janine Ducharme in 1952. Maria was the second-youngest of six daughters, and she found her independence when she left home at the mere age of sixteen. Through a career that spanned from the male-dominated drafting industry to massage therapy and award-winning landscape design, she saw enough of the world to encourage her natural compassion into remarkable fruition. A sense of social responsibility was instilled in her from a young age, and Maria often exercised her right to peaceful protest. Considerable artistic gifts and a clever intuition persisted even after a catastrophic car accident nearly ended her life in her late twenties. Her resilience through brain injury is truly remarkable, a hallmark of her ability to overcome great adversity.

In 1993, Maria married Michael Windrim, a long-time friend and fellow creative. She took her new stepdaughter, Julia, into her heart as a beloved child. In 1995, their daughter Maia was born, followed by their daughter Liah in 1997.

It’s in the bloom of motherhood that Maria found her stride like never before: she proved to be a pillar of strength during difficult years, set a great example during years of fortune, and showed an unparalleled ability to love.

On June 10th, 2025, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Maria passed away surrounded by her family. She faced death with an irrepressible smile and genuine grace. She had recently been diagnosed with metastatic small cell lung cancer, a different type of the same disease that took the life of her father in 2001. Her last message is to look for the small joys in life, which are everywhere, and to hold your loved ones close.

Maria is survived by her sisters Joanne, Pauline, and Michelle, her children, Julia, Maia and Liah, her sons-in-law Luc Tremblay, Carson Hegedus, and Daniel Cote, and her ex-husband Michael. She is pre-deceased by her parents and by two of her sisters, Francine and Lise.

In lieu of a service or flowers, please feel welcome to perform acts of kindness in her name. Donations can be sent to Pollinator Partnership Canada, a registered Canadian charity that works to enhance pollinator habitat, encourages research and policy actions that help protect pollinators, and provides outreach and education materials throughout Canada.