When reflecting on the life of our ~beloved Gilles~ we can’t help but be flooded with so many incredible memories.
He was the son of Monique and the late Wilfrid Despatie, brother of Carole (Don) and Denise (Yvan). For Gilles, his entire life was about family, he was a loving husband to Nicole, they had the opportunity to celebrate their 50th anniversary last year. A devoted father to Robert (Sylvie), Lynn (Tom) and Tanya (Brian). Cherished Pepère to Shelby (Kassidy), Sydney (Malick), Tristan, Zoë, Faith, Hudson and Cameron and a wonderful Great-Pepère to Avah and Kailo. He will be deeply missed by many nieces, nephews, brother and sister in-laws, relatives and friends.
As you can see, Gilles was loved beyond measure, and loved everyone just as deeply. Gilles was the type of Pepère to never miss a game, practice, or school outing, if it was for his grandkids, you could count on him to be cheering on the sidelines with a Pepsi in his pocket. His children carry so many of their father’s values, to love hard, spend time with loved ones and enjoy life to the fullest. Gilles was a hard-working miner and farmer, who was passionate about working in his fields, feeding the cows, mowing his lawn and driving his tractor with a piece of hay in the corner of his mouth.
Gilles was always singing beautiful songs on his guitar, and playing pool in his shed. His dog Joe was an addition to his life in his later years, he brought him so much love and happiness. He was not one to shy away from telling his family just how much he loved them, and taught us all how to be good people. If you had the privilege to know Gilles, you can attest to how genuine, kind and generous of a man he was with a heart full of love to give. Gilles always had a way of making people laugh, whether it be a joke he shared or a French curse that would slip out at any given moment. In the presence of Gilles, you were guaranteed to laugh til your eyes filled with tears and your stomach hurt from just how funny he was. He was a welcoming man who invited you into his heart and home with open arms, his impact on the world was deep and profound.
He will be remembered for the abundant legacy we are blessed to be left with. Gilles passed peacefully in the comfort of his home on January 5th, 2025, surrounded by his entire family who sang songs to comfort him in his final hours.
A ~Celebration of Life~ will be held at his farmhouse on his birthday June 12th. Donations in his memory to a Food Bank of your choice would be greatly appreciated. In the words of his favourite song, Seven Spanish Angels, took another Angel home.