VAN BUREN – Gervaise F. LaPierre, 71, passed away peacefully on September 28, 2018, at the Aroostook House of Comfort in Presque Isle, following a courageous battle against cancer. She was born September 5, 1947 in St. Rose Ville Dégelis, Quebec, the daughter of the late Camille and Adrienne (Beaulieu) Raymond. She was one of 13 children and was proud of her Quebecois heritage.
Gervaise was a woman of great faith, having lived her Cursillo in 1995 and later traveled to the Cenacle House of Prayer religious retreat in Cacouna, Quebec. Prayer was a large part of her daily life. She was devoted to her family and friends and, as a great cook, loved to prepare meals for their many gatherings. She was an active parishioner of St. Bruno-St. Remi Church, a member of the Columbiettes, the Red Had Ladies and volunteering for the parish Mercy Meals and food pantry. She was also a 25-year member of the Social Justice and Peace Commission in Van Buren. In her limited spare time, Gervaise enjoyed tending to her flowers and garden and loved traveling to visit her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by: her husband of 47 years, Robert LaPierre of Cyr Plantation; a daughter Stephanie May and her husband Chris of Abilene, TX; two sons, Mark LaPierre and wife Kanaan of Westbrook and Matthew LaPierre and wife Jen of Auburn; 7 grandchildren, Andrew & Nicolas May, Owen, Lillian, & Madyson LaPierre, and Landon & Chase LaPierre; three brothers, Gilles, Rino, and Alain Raymond; three sisters, Jocelyne Raymond, Nicole Vezina, and Ginette Raymond; and a large group of close friends and her faith family; and many nieces and nephews.
Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her sister, Rejeanne Soucy, and five brothers, Laval, Jocelyn, André, Yvanohé, and Vallier Raymond.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 AM on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at St. Bruno-St. Remi Catholic Church, Van Buren. Relatives and friends may greet the family Friday 6-8:00 PM at Lajoie Funeral Home, 118 High St., Van Buren. Burial will be at a later date in Maine Veterans Cemetery, Caribou. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Gervaise's name to: Aroostook House of Comfort, 16 Green Hill Road, Presque Isle, ME 04769, or Dempsy Center, PO Box 277, Auburn, ME 04212.
