In Loving Memory of Emmanuelle Gunter 1940-2015
Honoured by her family and friends.
Emmanuelle was born in France in 1940. She was a naturally gifted student and graduated from high school at a young age. She intended to pursue medicine, but soon after starting university met Fred Gunter on a student ski trip in Switzerland. After Fred went back to Canada to teach in the fall of 1958, he returned over the Christmas break to marry Emmanuelle in Paris. While Fred had gone to Paris to learn French and teach English, he found love and it improved his French.
Emmanuelle moved to Canada with little English and a lot of spunk to raise her family. As her children grew older, she was a dedicated mature student at Nipissing University pulling off top grades in her graduating year. In the ensuing years, she worked as a translator for the school board and later worked with a school psychologist conducting psychometric tests. Emmanuelle embraced many sports including tennis, cross-country skiing, hiking, paddling and cycling. She excelled in some, competing at many Masters Events in cross-country skiing. Her love of swimming, cycling and running led her to become an accomplished tri-athlete at an age when many look to give up the sport. Many of her closest friendships were formed thanks to their common love of sport. She was also a serious Duplicate Bridge player and reached Life Master status. She was active in many community clubs such as the Warriors of Hope Dragon Boat team, the Friendship Force, the Nordic Ski Club, and the North Bay Bridge Club. At the time of her sudden and unexpected death she had been enjoying a wonderful summer filled with travel, family, friends, hikes and beer and mojitos on the dock. She suffered a hemorrhagic stroke caused by an undiagnosed brain tumour on August 25, 2015. She was brought to hospital still wearing her hiking boots and many of her friends thought that was very fitting! Emmanuelle was beloved by many, including by her favourite ski partner Fred who passed away suddenly in 1996. She is greatly missed by her children Kirsten (Stephen), André, Marc (Laura) and Chantal (Rendell). Emmanuelle was a dynamic and vibrant Grand-Maman to Ariane and Sauvanne, Christopher, Sabrina and Eric, and Solène and Amélie.
She would have been very pleased to be honoured in this way, helping in the revitalization of North Bay’s Waterfront – a place to be active in the great outdoors!