Lucille LeGall

Lucille Rita Marie LeGall passed away on February 1, 2025, surrounded by her family.

A wife, a mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, friend, coworker – she left us all too soon.

Lucille was born October 27, 1944, to Eugene and Clara Gingras. She was the 11th child in a family of 12. The family resided in a rural area of Laurier Manitoba. Lucille attended Kerqunin school with her siblings and neighbors. She finished her later years of school at St. Norbert Roman Catholic Convent. Lucille attended Nurses training at Ste Boniface General Hospital and graduated in June 1964.

On December 28, 1964, she married the love of her life Robert LeGall.

The couple built a home three miles west of Ste Rose and started their lives – Robert farming and Lucille working as a nurse at the Ste Rose Hospital. She often spoke of working in the operating room with Dr Rene Gendreau. Lucille and Robert were blessed with two daughters, Michelle born in 1966 and Colette born in 1969.

 In 1972 Lucille and Robert decided to venture west to work in the logging industry in Williams Lake British Columbia. Robert worked in a logging mill that was owned by Pinette and Therrien. In June of 1973 they were blessed with a third child, a son, Ronald Alian LeGall. 

Fall of 1973 the family made another move to a logging camp Silvacan Resources. The logging camp was located on Takla Lake in British Columbia. The small logging community was very remote and was only accessible by plane or train.

There was no hospital for Lucille to continue her nursing career, so she took on jobs cleaning bunk houses and cooking for 100 men. This is where she learned to make her famous pie crust from one of the head chefs. The family enjoyed many activities in this remote logging camp such as boating, fishing, bingo nights and visiting other families that lived in the small camp.

1979 Lucille and Robert decided to move back to Ste Rose du Lac. Lucille took on the task of taking her nursing refresher course to be able to return to working in her beloved profession at the Ste Rose Hospital.

In 2005 the couple build a new home and moved from the family farm to the town of Ste Rose. While Lucille continued to work, this did not stop the couple from traveling to many locations – Texas,  21-day California tour, Florida, Vegas, Yuma Arizona, Mount Rushmore South Dakoda, Quebec, Alberta, Dominican Republic,  Mexico, and France. Many of these locations were not visited once but on multiple occasions. Lucille and Robert loved to socialize taking part in Senior Games, Jolly Club events and hosting many get-togethers in their home. The couple always made time to travel to Swan River and Winnipeg for special events and to see their precious grandchildren and great grandchildren Lexie & Jaxson.

Lucille was a remarkable nurse, a gift to the profession, an educator to so many and loved by those she cared for. She demonstrated in her daily work, her passion for her profession and genuine care for those she served.  Lucille retired from the Ste Rose hospital in 2002 and two weeks later had a part-time job at the Dr Gendreau Personal Care Home where she continued to work in her beloved profession till October 2023.

Lucille was a kind, calm, respectful woman, wife and mother. We were privileged to have her journey with each one of us. She was a positive presence, a guide in every stage, providing encouragement as well as gentle insight as we transitioned through life's joys and challenges. When life presented times of turbulence and worry, causing feelings of defeat, she would remind us of the importance of prayer. We also were reassured at these times that we all were in her daily prayers.   

In conversation of past days Mom, the theme has been very much the same. We all wish that  Heaven had a phone line, even if it was just for 7 minutes.  Our words cannot express how much we love you and how we miss you. Your words, wisdom and grace will live on in our hearts and our family forever.

Memere Lucille was blessed with five grandchildren - Michael, Devlin, myself Desirae, Sara, and Brittaney. Each of us held a special place in her heart, she always made sure we each felt equally loved, cherished and cared for. Memere’s greatest joy was watching her family grow, especially the precious time she spent with her two great grandchildren, Jaxson and Lexie. The bond us cousins share is so special because of the way she encouraged us to accept, listen, be patient, and enjoy every second we spent together.

Memere Lucille was the heart of our family. She always put others before herself – if there were meals to be made, grandkids and great grandkids to care for, loved ones who needed support or a helping hand, she was there. Memere was the last one to sit down at the table, making sure everyone’s food was hot enough - including her own - which always needed an extra 1-2 minutes in the microwave.

And her food – oh her food. Her Nanaimo bars, saskatoon pie, lasagna, thanksgiving, easter, and Christmas dinners, brunch with Pepere’s French crepes, every meal was made with love and brought us closer together as a family.

Whenever we were leaving the house from a weekend visit, Memere would always make sure we had snacks, waters, and our favorite dainties for the week to take home. It didn’t matter if she had just fed us a full lunch, she wanted to make sure we were taken care of, that’s the person she was.

I admired so many things about my Memere. She had a lightness about her, this unwavering amount of positivity. No matter what happened, she got up, she got ready and tackled the day with a smile and positive mindset.

I will take so many life lessons from you Memere, but one I will never forget is that love, positivity, and kindness never fade. They live on in the way we treat others, the warmth we bring to every situation and the simple but meaningful ways we show up and take care of one another.

Memere, thank you, Merci. For every meal, every hug, every act of selflessness, every laugh. We will miss you more than words can say but will carry your lessons and positive light everywhere we go. Je t’aimerai toujours, mon ange.

Funeral Mass for Lucille was celebrated on Saturday, February 15th, 2025 at 1:00 pm from Ste. Rose de Lima Roman Catholic Church, Ste. Rose du Lac, MB 

Fr. Moise Adossou celebrated the mass with interment following in the Ste. Rose Cemetery.  

Should friends so desire, please consider remembering Lucille with a donation to the Ste. Rose General Hospital or the Dr. Gendreau Personal Care Home c/o the Prevost Foundation, PO Box 60, Ste. Rose du Lac, MB, R0L 1S0.  

The following tribute to Lucille was shared prior to the funeral mass by her daughter Michelle and her granddaughter Desirae 

How do we pay tribute to a beautiful woman who touched so many? 

God grant us the strength as we attempt this challenge today