Simone Brisebois was born in the village of Verner, just outside Sturgeon Falls, Ont. Simone had fond memories of growing up helping out with the farm animals and being part of a large family born to Electra and Eugene Perreault. She grew up close to her sisters Jeanette and Anna, and brothers George and Mados.
Simone married Réal Brisebois in Sturgeon Falls, and they eventually settled there with their two children, Claire and Raymond, after stints in Sudbury and Parry Sound, Ont.
Simone was the quintessential strong and dominant French-Canadian matriarch of her family. Speaking almost no English, she and Réal moved with their young children in 1945 to a new town being built down the Ottawa Valley called Deep River, where she remained for the rest of her life. Simone and Réal were considered by many as pioneers of this company town built by Atomic Energy, as they were one of the first families to settle and help with its development and growth.
Simone was blessed with eight grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren followed. Her grandkids fondly remember her as the life of the party. She was regularly seen hanging around in the kitchen of the snowmobile chalet on a Sunday afternoon, helping out and keeping the laughter going among all the men in the crowd.
The infamous stories of her overindulgence during fishing weekends or camping trips, or pretending to be tipsy with a bottle in her hand, were proof she knew how to have fun, although none of us ever saw her take a drink. She was, however, always misplacing her smokes and lighter.
Simone always had time for her grandchildren. She loved to sit and read a joke book, watch them play at campsites, listen to music and sing along or, in later years, share her opinions about certain federal politicians. The red-and-white ceramic cookie jar sat conspicuously in her kitchen; it was always full, and you never went away from Grandma's hungry.
She maintained many strong relationships with old friends and new when she moved into a retirement home and then a long-term-care facility after Réal died of lung cancer more than 15 years ago. With her humour and zest for a fun time, Simone seemed to bring life into both homes. The staff loved to joke with her and she was always up to some daily teasing while she showed off recent pictures of her great-grandchildren.
Everyone who was privileged to have met Simone knew she always loved a good joke, and once she got to know you and trust you, the little pieces of paper with jokes on them would come out of her purse.
She passed away with her children by her side.
Brian Emmerton is Simone's grandson.