Gabrielle Laurette Ariano

Gabrielle (Gail) Ariano (nee Charron), age 93, passed away peacefully on Wednesday January 17. Gail was born on June 18, 1930 in Ottawa.

She is predeceased by her loving husband Ray to whom she was married for 49 years, her parents Leopold and Aloysia and her brother John. Gail is survived by her five children, Louis (Carol), Teresa (Bill), Paul, Geralyn (Greg), Marcia (Darren) as well as 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Gail and Ray met in Ottawa, where she was the secretary to Mayor Charlotte Whitten, who was the first woman mayor of a major city in Canada and where Ray was completing his RCMP training. They were married in 1953 and Gail spent the early years of their marriage supporting Ray in their numerous moves between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, ON. During this time, Gail mastered the subtilties of great Italian cooking-making the world’s best pasta fazool, gnocchi and ravioli-later passing these lessons to her children.

In 1964, they moved to Winnipeg, where they spent most of their lives, except for a short period where they lived in Mississauga. Gail always spoke fondly of the years she spent working for the Fort Garry School Division, as a secretary for Dalhousie School, as well as her time spent working for the Peel Board of Education in Mississauga. In Gail’s recent years, she moved to Lindenwood Terrace where she enjoyed the company of and will be missed by the many friends she made.

We wish to thank the wonderful nurses and health care aides on the 4th floor of the Victoria General Hospital for the care and treatment of our mother.

A celebration of Gail’s life will be held on Friday, June 21, 2024 at 2:00 pm at Thomson "In the Park" Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Blvd. In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to a charity of your choice.