Dear Larry Charbonneau, Over the fifteen years I have know you, you have guided and loved your family, church, and community, some times being generous to a fault. You have always striven to do your best by them, others and God, You have been most generous in your support of the church, community members, extended family, and myself. Thank you for a wonderful birthday celebration in January this past year, I just wish we could have done the same for you this past November. But I am sure you were celebrating your latest Birthday with Gert, Dénis, Cecile, André. Fern, your parents, and all the others that you have know throughout your life that had gone to join our Lord before you. (And that was many being the oldest man from Gogama at the time of your passing, Many of the community celebrated your long life in Gogama and your contributions toward others.) You always were quick to provide a helping hand in whatever form to those in need and sheltered all those who sought your aid. You will be appreciated and missed by many for your good deeds, and your contributions to various individual lives. This summer as we sat in the hospital a in Timmins and listened to the Telehealth Doctor and Nurse, you were so focused and intent that no one could have imagined you would be passing so soon. No one knew that the pain you had been suffering over the years had become this much, as you hid most of your suffering from us. Your pain was so much in your final days, that it was all your family members could do was to sit by your side and keep you company until your final passing surrounded by your many children. Please do not believe for a moment that anyone was mad at you for getting hurt by a mere accident. It was as if you knew at the time that this would be your downfall. You had already said many Goodbyes by this time to family members across Canada. It was like you knew that your time here on earth was not long, and that you would be joining your Doll. I can see you in heaven singing to her about coins in a fountain as you often did in this past year as you lovingly looked her candle. (That must have been a special song when you two were dating.) You were always eager to get things started and prepared for things to come,. You even celebrated by making your Thanksgiving Turkey early this year, relishing in the good meal in the days preceding Thanksgiving. Your preparedness lead you to always be stocking the house full of groceries, updating renovating and repairing your home, and even taking care to make sure that your gravestone marker was in place long before your passing. I remember the day that you went to the cemetery to see it installed. Your contentment afterward as you sat by the table eating your steak and potato was evident for all to see and hear as you were speaking of how very pleased you were with it. There was many things that pleased you in life. You certainly lived life to the full not letting anything stand in your way of what you wanted to accomplish. And you always expressed gratitude and faith for the good things that came your way. You always took such joy in accompanying me to mass. Your readings were beautiful. Sadly, as the years passed, you became less able to do the things you wanted to do, and because increasingly dependent on others. I know it crushed you, the day that you were no longer able to attend the weekly mass, and read in church. As your mobility diminished, your world shrunk to encompass your home, and finally your hospital room. For a man, who had embraced this world travelling far and wide to far flung towns like Bracebridge and the Frost Centre in Dorsett, Ontario through your work with CNR and MNR. You took great pride in your work. You often talked about your mathematical aptitude that you had acquired as a scaler of logs. Long after you retaining the answers for the calculations of squares of the numbers, showing it off, much like a parlour trick. You took as much delight in quickly answering your own questions, like what is 14 times 14, as you did in playing pool. And in your last year, you even humoured me by playing a game of pool with me, patiently coaching me on shots and encouraging me to keep trying even thought I was not the competition you regularly sought in a game a pool. Some how in your last year you were able to play upto 3 games of snooker, (despite your diminished ability to stand and walk), a;ways keenly taking your shots, eagerly playing the rubber, to try and win the best of 3 games. It was said, that playing pool against you meant that one should just put one's wallet on the table and give you all of one's money as you were so good at playing pool. What glorious days you must have had growing up in the Pool Hall in Gogama. They say you dated many girls, as you truly were a handsome young man. But you gave your heart completely to a young woman, Gertrude Gravel, marrying her and quickly having a family. Gert said that she would gladly have all of your children again, so great was her love for you, her family and her God. Many said that you sheltered other children in adversity and need. and provided a summer home for many of your nieces and nephews visiting from out of town. Your hospitality was exemplary, exceeded only by your generosity. You built a beautiful home for your family, even once saving it from a fire that easily could have destroyed your family home. You also provided for the homes of others through your work as an Electrician wiring homes in the evenings and on the weekends. Your family did not see much of you in those early years as you worked hard to provide the best of life for all of your children and your wife that you could possibly manage to do. Even since I saw you last this summer, much had changed in the home over the 3 months as you furiously painted inside your home, cooked, baked, and preserved food in addition to playing pool and fixed sewing machines. It was like you wanted to squeeze the most out of life and living. Well you certainly did just that. We will all miss you. You family most of all, who had grown accustomed to seeing you everyday of their lives. It is an adjustment for all of us. But I know you are now busy in heaven watching over all of us and reacquainting yourself with everyone already there. May God keep you and your loved ones in his care. God Bless you all. You have made my life much richer in experience for having know you. Thank you Monsieur Charbonneau for all that you have done. Je peut dire tous cdci en français, mais je said que vous étiez très fièr de vote capacité de langue anglais et même que wous êtes un famille FrancoOntarian and francophone, vous avais toujours voulu practicer vote anglais avec moi au même temps que vous m'aidiez aver mon apprentissage de votre belle langue français. Merci pour tous votre generosité de me donner un place chez vous pour tous le temps que j'avais visité Gogama depuis j'avais démanagé de Morin's après j'avais finé d'ētre La Maitresse de la Petite Ècole Anglaise de Gogama. Votre famille avaient overt la mode à Gogama après j'avais fait la première connissance de Diane come servieuse au Rendez-Vous en janvier après je suis venue de Gogama pour enseigner l'anglais, les mathéthematique et le français au jeunes anglophones à Gogama Public School. Je ne peut pas rémercié assez vote famille et vous pour tous que vous aviez fait pour les quinze années que je vous connaisais, sauf que vous dire un grand merci à toute la communité de Gogama et de votre famille pour partager vos vies avec moi. Prends soins. Au revoir Monsieur Charbonneau. C'est un devistation personalle pour moi de perdre vous et Mmme Charbonneau. Comme votre famille, je n'étais pas prêts de vous perdre. Rest in peace Mme et M. Charbonneau, knowing all that you have done through out your lives has helped many people, that have had the pleasure of knowing both of you, and your family. Sincèrement, Gail Kuder