Theresa Lemay

   Theresa (Gagnon) Lemay “Memere”, passed away on March 4, 2024, at the age of 96, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. 

   Theresa was born in Woonsocket, RI in 1927 to Augustin Gagnon and Anna Larose. In 1932 Augustin moved his family to his native Canada hoping for a better life. 

   In her early years Theresa went to Normal School and married Charles Lemay in 1947. They remained married for 38 years until Charles’s passing in 1985. In 1961, Charles moved his family from Canada to Manchester where he worked as a house painter and construction laborer. Shortly after, she found work as a housekeeper at St-Georges rectory where she stayed for several years. She then worked in the same capacity at St. Catherine of Siena Parish for 35 years, retiring at the age of 77. 

   She was only able to enjoy a few of her golden years until being diagnosed with Alzheimers. The disease slowly robbed her of her cognitive functions and dignity until she had to be placed in a nursing home. As the disease progressed, near the end, she became combative with her care givers and her movements had to be monitored at all times to keep her within the facilities where she resided. Alzheimers also robbed us of the person we knew and loved as we helplessly watched her slow decline. It is therefore appropriate to remember her as she was before becoming ill. 

   Her most beloved time of the year was Christmas when she would go all out cooking more food for the family than we could possibly eat. She was especially known for her tourtieres (French Canadian meat pie), spaghetti sauce and home-made beef stew. Needless to say, there were always a lot of good leftovers for everyone, but the stuffed eggs and macaroni salad were always gone in short order. 

   She enjoyed any family gathering and always made sure it was scheduled for all to attend. Among her hobbies besides cooking were sewing, knitting, finally and talking on the telephone for hours. Her favorite movie of all time was The Sound of Music which she had on tape and always watched when it was on TV. Later in life she did word puzzles and loved watching Hallmark movies. Even up to her last years, she insisted on having her hair done once a week. God forbid anything should interfere with that! 

   She was predeceased by her parents; her brother, Irenee; her sister, Blanche and husband, Charles and infant daughter, Gisele. 

   She leaves behind her son, Gerald; her daughter, Denise; her grandson, Derek and his wife, Stephanie; her granddaughter, Susan Provencher Tankersley; great-granddaughters, Katherine Lemay and Alexis-Marie Foote and great-grandsons, Domenic Charles Tankersley and Matthew Foote. 

   The family wishes to thank the staff at Maple Leaf Healthcare for the great care, attention and patience they showed our mother during her stay at their facility.

   SERVICES: Calling hours are Tuesday (3/12) from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, 1799 Elm St., Manchester.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday (3/13) at 10 a.m. at St. Catherine Church, 267 Webster St., Manchester.  Committal prayers will follow at St. Augustin Cemetery, South Beech Street, Manchester.