NOVEMBER 18, 1939 – JULY 1, 2017

In loving remembrance of Lorraine, her laughter, generosity and family spirit will be held by her children, Elaine (Elgar), Allen (Mary), Mandy (Jane), Michelle and Monique; her mother in-law, Madeline Berglund; grandchildren, Cody, Nigel, Simon (Brittney), Haley (Derrick), Magdelaine (Gavin), Christopher (Michelle), Sophia, Ruegan and Loren; great grandchildren, Isabella, Gavin, Alexis, Felix, Maeve, Edixon, Hudson; and her loving siblings, extended family members and dear friends. Lorraine was predeceased by her husband, Melvin; her son, Kelly; and her grandson, Matthew. Lorraine was the first of Armand and Gertrude (nee Chalifoux) Bilodeau’s seven children.

The family lived in Beaumont until Lorraine was seven. When the French-speaking family moved to Edmonton she did not speak a word of English. She quickly learned.

As a young woman she was always up for an adventure and a laugh, loving trips to the lake and family gatherings and taking care of children. She met Mel when she was 12. They married in 1958, after she turned 18.

Together with their six children, and anyone else who showed up, they had a rich and varied life, raising a family while in Edmonton, farming in Morinville, facilitating a group home in Westlock, and trucking around North America. Her resourcefulness and ability to handle any task that presented itself was something that she perhaps didn’t recognize as remarkable in herself. Using her talents of cooking, crocheting, sewing, bookkeeping, babysitting, knowledge of astrology and truck driving, she stepped side by side with Mel through thick and thin until his passing in 2013.

She was devoted to her family and she always had open arms and a special gift for making every person feel warm, welcomed and special, like one of the family. You couldn’t go anywhere without her sharing her ready smile and striking up a conversation with the person next to her. She was a wealth of information about the family and kept loving track of every family member, which is no small feat in a family the size of hers.

The many blankets she crocheted are embracing family and friends around the world. Her ‘favorite thing’ were her each of her precious grand and great grandchildren She would talk about them and go through photos of them for hours.