Obituary of Estelle Benoit

The children of Estelle Benoit (nee Kearns) are sad to announce the passing of their mother. Mom died on June 10, 2020 at Village at St. Clair long-term care in Windsor, Ontario, her home since 2019. She was 89. Missing her, but grateful that she is no longer in pain, are daughters Karen Lafleur (Michel) of Aylmer, Que., Marian Drouillard (Gary), Linda Mondoux (Gary) and Lucie Martin (Kerry), all of Windsor, Ont., and son Gilles Mondoux (Jane) of Montreal. Born in the village of Berwick, Ont., on October 31, 1930, Mom left the farm as a young girl and moved with her family to Cornwall. It was there, near the banks of the St. Lawrence River, where Mom grew up and spent her adult life working, loving, laughing and crying, and where her children were born. Student. Silk mill worker. Cleaning woman. Sales clerk. Corner store owner. No matter her role, Mom was a hard worker who didn’t quit until the job was done. In her early working years, she pushed herself even more by going to night school to learn how to sew and to type, and later, to speak French. Little wonder that Mom was a woman of many talents. On the home front, who could forget her chicken and dumplings and banana cakes, followed in later years by her experimental wok dishes? Mom was also a tech geek before her time, thanks to a knack for figuring out how the latest electronic gadgets worked. Her friends with now working TVs and VCRs were her greatest fans. In her diary, A Mother’s Legacy, which she filled in over two years beginning on her 76th birthday, Mom tells us her favourite colours are red and black, her favourite pie is raspberry and her favourite vacation spot? “Any place near water.” She loved the country. And nature. Especially trees of all kinds. She loved gazing up at the moon and the clouds. And Mom especially loved her golden retriever Mike and before him, her farm creatures. But she was also a city girl who followed the latest fashions and trends. Mom loved getting dressed up, with her hair and makeup just right. She never stopped pining for her strappy high heels. She loved having fun. And she loved all things beautiful, including those of the opposite sex. She didn’t skip a beat when asked to cite her favourite sport: “A quick look at handsome men, so they never know,” she wrote in her diary. Of course, Mom also liked to be noticed. And she was. Throughout her life, Mom looked for love and found it in Arnold, Mario, Lucien and Rolland, and special friend Everett. She didn’t always make the best choices, but our mother lived life the way she knew how. And she never lost her sense of humour while doing it. Asked to recall some of the most important life lessons, Mom wrote: “The most important thing that ever happened to me is having my children. That’s why I could never want to change my life. If I had, I would have not had and loved and enjoyed each one.” When life did bring her down, nothing could cheer her up faster quite like music and song. From a young age, Mom sang in school glee clubs and taught herself to play the accordion, harmonica, guitar and her beloved organ. Her fondest memories, and ours, would be those special occasions when her brothers would bring their guitars and join her in a jam session around the kitchen table, everyone strumming and singing country tunes. Mom also expressed her artistic side through decorating and painting (she was especially proud of the one-of-a-kind window panels she painted to resemble leaded glass). But mostly, she loved to express herself through dance. Anyone who would listen has heard stories of the good old days when she’d go out dancing the night away. After years of debilitating pain due to spinal stenosis and arthritis throughout the body, Mom is no doubt up there doing the jitterbug again right now. And we expect she’s invited those who predeceased her, including parents Michael J Kearns and Loretta Lynch, brothers William, Clifford and Joseph, infant son Johnny and her dapper dancing partner, husband Rolland Benoit, to join the party. Mom will also be missed by staff at The Village, her “sister” Simone Kearns, grandchildren Steven (Vero), Katie (Alli), Dave, Michelle (Hiram), Joseph and Heather, and great-grandchildren Ryerson, Ben, Sienna, Westyn and Griffin. Cremation has taken place. A gathering of family and friends will be held in Cornwall at a later date to celebrate Mom’s life. Love you mom! Arrangements entrusted to SIMPLE CHOICE (Dougall) 519-254-2585. Online condolences and cherished memories may be shared with the family at www.simplechoicecremation.ca.