Funeral Procession of Cecile Marchand

I didn’t know Cecile Gertrude Marchand, but her’s is a beautiful story that I knew I had to share after hearing it. Thank you to her family for sharing her story, and to Clifford and Shirley for helping us share it with you.

“This is the funeral procession of Cecile Gertrude (Bishop) Marchand. Cecile passed away on December 29, 2012 at the age of 72. She died in Tiny Perkinsfield, Ontario. She was the daughter of Walt and Violet Bishop of Cavendish. She moved away a good many years ago but kept a summer residence in Cavendish. She loved returning to Cavendish every year and a few years ago renewed her marriage vows to Ray Marchand on their 40th anniversary with a lovely garden wedding and reception in Cavendish. She lived in Perkinsfield Ontario and Fort Myers, Florida. They kept several horses at the farm in Ontario. Initially afraid of horses she soon learned to love and ride them. She had four children, Nancy, Marcel, Kay and Kim (twins) and 6 Grandchildren. She has 9 Siblings in Newfoundland.

Cecile learned in May 2011 that she had ALS and knew what was facing her. She arranged her funeral and asked Clifford George of Whiteway, who had horses, to take her on her final journey to the Cemetery in Cavendish. With the support of the ALS society she aquired an iPod, and it became her constant companion and only means of communication after her voice failed in March 2012. The tablet was what kept her in touch with family and friends. She asked questions and answered questions on it. Her legs slowly lost all muscle and she was bound to a wheel char. She had to depend on a feeding tube for nourishment beginning June 2012. ALS did not stop her, as she travelled to Cavendish each summer and joined the Cavendish 50 Plus Club and went on whatever activity or trip the rest of the group took part in. She made the bus trip to Ferryland and the Loop, and she watched husband Ray bowl and curl with the other members. This past summer she visited the St. Pat’s 50 Plus Club in Carbonear with the group and had a little spin on the dance floor (in her wheelchair) with Ray, all the time with her iPod in her lap.

Her fingers were still functioning almost to the end and she had found Facebook, which became her outlet. She would type a story from her childhood almost everyday and post it on Facebook – stories that the rest of her siblings would also remember when their memory was jogged, funny stories, sad stories, stories from her past. What she also listed on Facebook was her struggle with ALS and its toll on her body and what she was facing now. She was an advocate for the right to die with dignity. She wanted her Facebook friends to petition their government member to speed up the bill that would give people in her situation the right to say when it was too much to bear. Her family, of course, wanted to keep her with them as long as possible, but supported her in her desire to end life with dignity. On one of her Facebook entries she couldn’t understand why she was kept alive and her cousin, who was younger than her, was suddenly taken, she ended her entry for that day with “I’m ready now, beam me up Scottie”. Cecile’s last post was Dec. 26th 2012 with the words “ HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE’.

Rest in peace Cecile.”