Honoured by the Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing.
Marie Rapoport was a colleague and friend at the Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing. Marie worked here for seven years as a counselor for victims of violence and sexual assault. Marie also worked with couples to improve their relationships and with many other people with interpersonal needs.
The Memorial Leaf at the North Bay Waterfront is our expression of appreciation to Marie for what she accomplished while she was with us and what she meant to us. Below are some of the tributes of people who worked closely with Marie.
“Marie had such a good heart”
“Une personne magnifique de générosité”
“Gentille personne qui demande si peu et qui donne tant pour rendre les autres heureux.”
“I greatly miss Marie’s presence and energy.”
“A smile that brightens any room and an entire day”
“Marie was honest and true.”
“I am struggling to find the works to describe this indescribable woman. I miss you”
“I see you in the face of every strong woman. I feel you as I push myself to do better and I hear you in the laugh of every mastermind I meet!”
Marie left the Community Counselling Centre to pursue her passion and her vision to grow,
develop and spread her wings. After Marie died, her friends and colleagues sought to preserve the memory and accomplishments of this remarkable woman.
Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing, July, 2011
Honoured by the Nipissing District Women’s Institute.
The Nipissing District Women’s Institute wish to honour Mrs. Gertrude Phillips. She was born Gertrude A. Nelms at Tham, Oxfordshire, England on May 9, 1890. She started school at the age of three and at 14, was awarded the first scholarship to be awarded to a girl by the County of Oxford. This scholarship entitled her to attend The Girls’ Grammar School at Tham in the mornings from 9-12 and then train as a pupil teacher in the John Hampden School in the afternoons. Three years later, she taught as an assistant teacher until 1908 when she received her First Class Teaching Certificate. She married Wm T. Phillips, formerly of Thame, but then resident in Ottawa, Canada.
She accompanied her husband to Ottawa. Their family now consists of five children, Kenneth, Gertrude, Joan, George and John.
In 1936, Because of health reasons, the family moved to Redbridge, just outside of North Bay and took up farming on a homestead.
In 1939, Mrs. Phillips became associated with the Phelps Women’s Institute. She was a convenor of five different Convenorships and Home Making Club Leader for five years under Home Economist Miss Lilly Petty. She was also Leader or Assistant Leader of many courses under the Leadership Training Program up to and including year 1963. At district level, she chaired six different committees over several years, as well as being Vice- President and then President for the Area. She represented the Sub-division #27, North and South Parry Sound and Nipissing District on The Federal Women’s Institute Board of Directors from 1959 until 1962. As District President, she had nine branches to visit at least once a year. The Branches were Balsam Creek, Trout Mills, Calvin, Rutherglen, Mattawa, Nipissing Junction, Kipling, Thibeault Hill and her own branch at Phelps. It was also her duty to attend the District annual meeting in her sub-division. Her mode of transportation was the bus that ran from Temiscaming to North Bay that arrived in North Bay at 10am and left at 4pm. Friends and members helped with any further driving that was necessary. She also had to attend Board Director meetings in Toronto at least twice a year while she was a Director. Gertrude Phillips deposited $2000.00 of her own money, which at that time made $100.00 or more interest each year, and the interest was used as a prize for the most points in Women’s Institute projects. The Institute made up the rules. Late interest was so low that the deposit was turned over to the District level. The Gertrude Phillips Award and trophy are still being used as an incentive for W. I. projects.
She was leader of the first group of Canadian Girl Guides in Phelps Township and was appointed District Commissioner in 1960.
Gertrude was active in Canadian Red Cross work and the Canadian Cancer Society, being an ex-of the North Bay Unit.
Of Anglican faith, she attended St. Francis Church in Phelps Township and taught Sunday school and was organist from 1936 until she and her husband moved to Osgood, ON.
Gertrude returned to the North Bay area after her husband’s death. She died February 19, 1985 in her 95th year.
Honoured by their daughters – Brenda Morris, Laura White, Nancy Lamarche and Sherri White.
Bill and Barb White met at a teen town dance in North Bay in 1950.They were married on July 12, 1952.
The son and daughter of Percy and Violet White, and George and Aletha Davies respectively, Bill and Barb went on to raise a family of four daughters; Nancy, Brenda, Laura, and Sherri.
Bill was a true athlete, playing several sports including hockey, baseball, bowling and golf. He was most passionate about hockey which he also coached in the early 1960s on the outdoor rinks of West Ferris. A formidable center man, he played until he was 71, stopping only when his health would no longer permit. His love of the game spilled over to us and of course our children, some of them becoming players themselves! During family visits, we all enjoy hearing Dad’s stories about the early days of hockey in North Bay.
Bill was employed by Cochrane Dunlop Hardware for 33 years in the purchasing department and warehouse on Jet Avenue. He worked alongside three of his brothers (Tom, Cliff and Reg ), his cousin Gord, and many others who became life-long friends.
After leaving Cochrane Dunlop in 1989, Bill discovered a new interest for working with adults with special needs at Community Living’s Country Heritage Workshop. He went on to manage the ceramic “Gifts for You” shop on Main St. E. until he retired in 1992. He immediately went to work full time on his other hobby – his vegetable garden! Bill always tended to it with such care and love, taking pride in the yield of his work each fall and sharing it with his family and friends.
Barb was a devoted stay-at-home mother until all of the girls were full time students. It was then that she began to work, first at the newly opened Lee Jean factory in North Bay; second as a legal assistant to Roger Galipeau and finally as the secretary to the Medical Officer of Health at the North Bay and District Health Unit. Barb managed to balance the care of her home and children with working full time, and she made many friends along the way. It was during Barb’s working years that the family grew to include three son-in-laws, Conrad, Mark, and Dino, as well as eight grandchildren. Each grandchild received hand knit sweaters, bonnets, and booties from Barb. She could knit anything and enjoyed seeing her grandchildren dressed in her handiwork! Barb retired from the Health Unit in 1994 to a life of leisure enjoying her hobbies including baking with her grandchildren whenever possible, flower gardening and helping out her children in countless ways.
Summer holidays with Mom and Dad always involved spending time around water! They both loved to swim and were sure we all developed a great love of spending time on the many lakes around our area. We spent many years camping at Mikisew Campground in South River, as well as cottaging on Lake Nosbonsing and Lake Nipissing.
Bill and Barb are happiest in their home in Graniteville but have also ventured on several holidays to places they never dreamed they would go!
Before retiring they travelled to the East Coast of Canada, Florida, Las Vegas, and Branson, Missouri. Once retired, they took two trips to visit Brenda and her family in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland. While there they travelled to France and England, enjoying many special moments in Paris and London. They were ever so thankful to have been able to visit the gravesite of Bill’s brother Murray who was killed in the Second World War and laid to rest in Beny-Sur-Mer, France. In October 2010 Barb and Bill became great grandparents for the first time when Sage was born. This marked another very proud moment for both of them!
It is to honour their dedication to family that we purchased this pergola leaf for their 59th wedding anniversary. We are so thankful for the lessons they have taught us and for their never ending love and support.
On July 12, 2012 Bill and Barb celebrated 60 years of marriage with a surprise garden party attended by many friends and family members. After a full afternoon of visiting and being entertained by friends and family members, they enjoyed yet another swim together in the pool!
All of our Love to you both, Nancy, Brenda, Laura & Sherri XO, XO, XO, XO
Jocelyn’s love of life was a source of inspiration to her family and friends.
She was the loving wife of Steven, dedicated mother to three children, Chester, Erin, and Katie, and grandmother to Hailey, and Lilli-Ann. Her siblings, Pat, Yvon, Mariette and Mike will remember her love of adventure and her great sense of humour.
Jocelyne had a great passion for gardening and created a beautiful landscape at her home, with many flower beds throughout her property. She was proud to have worked alongside her husband to build their family home. She was a sewer, knitter, folk-art artist, loved to cook and even dabbled in pottery.
She was a member of the Medical Secretary Association and worked in that field in North Bay, serving her employers and their clients for 35 years.
She gave of her time as a volunteer for the Multiple Sclerosis Carnation campaign and was part of the Lupus Foundation Research Project of Ontario for 21 years. She also coached T-ball and belonged to the Callander Horticultural Society.
She lived life to the fullest, all the while coping with lupus, fibro-myalgia, and neurological-myopathy. Regardless of her physical challenges, her spirit in her was palpable.
She filled us with her love and her courage to live fully without complaint, enjoying every minute.
She will be greatly missed but her spirit lives on in all who knew and loved her.
