Fleury – It is with great love that we announce the passing of our Mom, Alice Mary Fleury, beloved wife of the late Clifford Fleury, of Brooks, at age 105 years. Alice Blais was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on April 17th, 1904. Alice moved to Alberta in 1917. She met Clifford Fleury at a dance, just before Christmas in 1925 and they were married at St. Mary’s Cathedral, in Calgary, on February 15, 1926. Their family was complete with six children, Theresa (Boswell), Robert, Elaine (Orlita), Laurier, Leonard, & Adrien. They lived in Gleichen, Alberta until 1944 when they moved to Brooks. Their house was faith filled. Alice took her turn cleaning the Catholic Church (Our Lady of Perpetual Help), often with Adrien along for help. She was always busy baking for the church bake sales, sewing clothes for her six kids and doing books for their business. All six kids would have new clothes to start school, all home made. While in Gleichen, Sundays would begin with Mass and all the family relatives, from three farms nearby, would gather after church for lunch, which Alice prepared on Saturday. Up to 15 people attended always ending with home made layer cake or jelly roll. She always loved music, sang in the church choir for years, played in a local 5 person orchestra and played for community dances. While taking piano lessons, she developed a passion for music of all kinds. She passed that passion on to her children. Ragtime Marches were her favorite, playing them well into her 90’s, and even played one on her 100th birthday. In her later years Alice & Cliff played duplicate bridge weekly with a club in Brooks. After Cliff’s passing, Alice continued to play, now in her late 80’s and early 90’s, with her granddaughter, Leanne, as her partner. She hated to miss bridge and rarely did, even if it meant climbing out the window of her room and down a ladder, at the Newbrook Lodge, when the doorknob broke. Alice’s husband, of nearly 65 years, Cliff, passed away in January, 1991. She chose to not remain in their home and moved into the Newbrook Lodge in March. She kept herself busy, hooking rugs for the next annual tea & sale, playing cards or sitting at the piano playing her favorite tune. She remained in the Lodge for the next sixteen years, enjoying every minute of it. When the time came that she required a higher level of care, at the age of almost 103, she moved into the Orchard Manor in February 2007. She was unsure whether she could get to know and love the staff there as she did at the Lodge. It took very little time to discover that she could and did love the staff at the Manor in the same way. She considered herself Blessed to have such wonderful care in both facilities. Alice was easy to love. Always positive, never complained, always saw the sunny side of everything. As her health failed, and she was confined to her bed, she dealt with it with such patience, as she waited to join her Lord. In her 105 years she taught so many, so much. We are eternally grateful. Alice was predeceased by her husband Cliff; her parents, Arthur & Anselmie Blais; her brothers Archie (Mary), Leo (Lois) & Eddy; her sisters Sister Mary Bathilda, Rita (Al), Clara (George); her brother-in-law Joe Voermans; her sons Laurier & Robert; her daughter-in-law Lorraine; son-in-law Eric Boswell and great grand daughter Robin. Alice is survived by her sister Loretta Voermans; her daughters Theresa Boswell and Elaine (Mike) Orlita; her sons Leonard (Gladys) and Adrien (Laura); daughters-in-law Mary Fleury and Mandi Fleury; 23 grand children; numerous great grand children and 5 great great grand children. Honorary Pallbearers will be Cliff Fleury, Elaine Orlita, Theresa Boswell, Robert Fleury, Laurier Fleury and those waiting for Alice. Active Pallbearers will be Leonard Fleury, Adrien Fleury, Allan Boswell, Rene Fleury, Len Orlita and Wade Fleury. Prayer Vigil will be held Sunday, August 16th, 2009 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 7:30 p.m. with Deacon Bob Wilson officiating. Funeral Mass will be celebrated Monday, August 17th, 2009 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 11:00 a.m. with Father Avinash Colaco officiating. Interment to follow at Brooks Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made “In Memory of Alice Fleury” to the Cliff & Alice Fleury Scholarship Fund at St. Joseph’s Collegiate, 408-1st Street West, Brooks, Alberta T1R 0V8 or Stars Air Ambulance, 1441 Aviation Park NE, Box 570, Calgary, Alberta T2E 8M7. Arrangements in care of SMITH FUNERAL HOME. Telephone 403-362-4636 or Toll Free (866) 362-4652.
