Obituary for Claudette Marie Micheline Leakey (Desmarais)
Leakey; "Claudette" Marie Micheline (nee Desmarais)
Crossed the threshold suddenly in her home on Wednesday, December 7th, 2022 where she was loved and cared for by her devoted family and precious caregivers. Claudette of Kingston Ontario and formerly of Gananoque, Brockville and St. Rosalie, Quebec was 78 years of age.
Beloved and treasured wife of Robert Leakey for 55 years. Loving cherished mother of Suzanne, Christine and late Dennis Leakey. Grandmother to Julia MacKenzie and Lily-Anne Leakey. Loved sister of Huguette (Richard) Babcock, the late John and Paul Desmarais, and sister-in-laws Sharon Leakey, Mary Desmarais, Bunny Hollingsworth. Fondly remembered by her aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous friends.
One of Claudette’s spirit animals must surely have been a fish because she just loved to swim! She would swim 2 miles with flippers on across a lake and back almost daily with whomever was willing to brave the waters by her side. And many did which was a favourite social pastime to remember her by filled with happiness. She was an avid camper, snowmobiler, and water skier who also enjoyed teaching the children in her family to ski from a young age. She had a tremendous heart.
An amazing seamstress. Anyone who met her were lavished with Creation Claudette gifts that she would craft especially for them from beaded jewellery, hand stitched quilts, woven hangers, doll clothing, garments, illustrated cards, satchel, tote and drawstring bags, and of course her famous paper ornamental balls. She proclaimed proudly, ‘Everybody needs a set of balls!” That was her humour. She was always making light of life and sparking laughter through her quirky sense and of course while also bursting into song. And boy could she sing with her most beautiful low register, warm tone that could put some of the best crooners to shame.
Being such a pop culture buff, she had an incredible repertoire of songs that she could sing and play the keyboard to by ear. Name that tune was her jam! Many were love songs that she serenaded to her husband, Bob and of course children and babies who she had such an affinity for. She loved offbeat quirky theme parks created by Arto Monaco and made sure to always include the kids with Bob on trips to places like Rainbow Valley, Storyland, Santa’s Village, Gaslight Village and The Land of Make Believe which was gold for any child, young or old. She travelled a little to Mexico with Bob and her brother, the East Coast a few times with her sister and family, Florida, Quebec and Ohio to babysit a skunk, a fox and meet a pack of wolves.
Claudette was creative and intelligent. She was recently informed that she has a large brain and she’d joke that is why she’s so smart. And truly she was. She skipped grades and graduated high school at 16 then moved to Ottawa to work for the government before marrying and raising her own family. While a stay home mom, she sold AVON and was a team leader in Gananoque. When her kids reached their teens she went back to school to refresh her math skills acing all her courses with perfect 100/100 scores. She worked in the Correctional Services within the Kingston proper and before she retired she was front desk at the Correctional Staff College.
We would love to invite all who loved Claudette - family and friends - to a service in her honour. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Wartman Funeral Home. Visitation will be held at the Wartman Funeral Home - Kingston Chapel on Sunday, December 11, 2022 from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm. Liturgy of The Word will be held in the Funeral Home Chapel at 1 pm on Monday, December 12 2022 followed by some delicious catered food.
The service will also be available for viewing on Zoom, you can find the registration on her memorial webpage at www.wartmanfuneralhomes.com. Memorial donations made in Claudette's memory to Heart and Stroke Foundation would be greatly appreciated by the family. Online condolences and donations may be forwarded through www.wartmanfuneralhomes.com.
Weep not that she has passed, but smile that she was for we are not humans having a spiritual experience, rather we are spirits having a human one. Soar, sweet blue angel. Soar greatly beyond the beyond the beyond… We love you forever and always.
Crossed the threshold suddenly in her home on Wednesday, December 7th, 2022 where she was loved and cared for by her devoted family and precious caregivers. Claudette of Kingston Ontario and formerly of Gananoque, Brockville and St. Rosalie, Quebec was 78 years of age.
Beloved and treasured wife of Robert Leakey for 55 years. Loving cherished mother of Suzanne, Christine and late Dennis Leakey. Grandmother to Julia MacKenzie and Lily-Anne Leakey. Loved sister of Huguette (Richard) Babcock, the late John and Paul Desmarais, and sister-in-laws Sharon Leakey, Mary Desmarais, Bunny Hollingsworth. Fondly remembered by her aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous friends.
One of Claudette’s spirit animals must surely have been a fish because she just loved to swim! She would swim 2 miles with flippers on across a lake and back almost daily with whomever was willing to brave the waters by her side. And many did which was a favourite social pastime to remember her by filled with happiness. She was an avid camper, snowmobiler, and water skier who also enjoyed teaching the children in her family to ski from a young age. She had a tremendous heart.
An amazing seamstress. Anyone who met her were lavished with Creation Claudette gifts that she would craft especially for them from beaded jewellery, hand stitched quilts, woven hangers, doll clothing, garments, illustrated cards, satchel, tote and drawstring bags, and of course her famous paper ornamental balls. She proclaimed proudly, ‘Everybody needs a set of balls!” That was her humour. She was always making light of life and sparking laughter through her quirky sense and of course while also bursting into song. And boy could she sing with her most beautiful low register, warm tone that could put some of the best crooners to shame.
Being such a pop culture buff, she had an incredible repertoire of songs that she could sing and play the keyboard to by ear. Name that tune was her jam! Many were love songs that she serenaded to her husband, Bob and of course children and babies who she had such an affinity for. She loved offbeat quirky theme parks created by Arto Monaco and made sure to always include the kids with Bob on trips to places like Rainbow Valley, Storyland, Santa’s Village, Gaslight Village and The Land of Make Believe which was gold for any child, young or old. She travelled a little to Mexico with Bob and her brother, the East Coast a few times with her sister and family, Florida, Quebec and Ohio to babysit a skunk, a fox and meet a pack of wolves.
Claudette was creative and intelligent. She was recently informed that she has a large brain and she’d joke that is why she’s so smart. And truly she was. She skipped grades and graduated high school at 16 then moved to Ottawa to work for the government before marrying and raising her own family. While a stay home mom, she sold AVON and was a team leader in Gananoque. When her kids reached their teens she went back to school to refresh her math skills acing all her courses with perfect 100/100 scores. She worked in the Correctional Services within the Kingston proper and before she retired she was front desk at the Correctional Staff College.
We would love to invite all who loved Claudette - family and friends - to a service in her honour. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Wartman Funeral Home. Visitation will be held at the Wartman Funeral Home - Kingston Chapel on Sunday, December 11, 2022 from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm. Liturgy of The Word will be held in the Funeral Home Chapel at 1 pm on Monday, December 12 2022 followed by some delicious catered food.
The service will also be available for viewing on Zoom, you can find the registration on her memorial webpage at www.wartmanfuneralhomes.com. Memorial donations made in Claudette's memory to Heart and Stroke Foundation would be greatly appreciated by the family. Online condolences and donations may be forwarded through www.wartmanfuneralhomes.com.
Weep not that she has passed, but smile that she was for we are not humans having a spiritual experience, rather we are spirits having a human one. Soar, sweet blue angel. Soar greatly beyond the beyond the beyond… We love you forever and always.