MADAWASKA - Jeannette (Deschaine) Bourgoin, age 79, a Madawaska resident for 53 years, passed away, with family by her side, on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor after a lengthy illness. Nannette, as she was known to many who knew her, was born on March 23, 1932 in Fort Kent to Emile H. and Edwina (Leblanc) Deschaine. Jeannette left her home in Fort Kent at the young age of thirteen to work in Fort Fairfield as a housekeeper and nanny. She married her husband, Richard of St. Agatha and Houlton, on December 26, 1950 and resided in Frenchville where they had the first 3 of their 8 sons. She and Richard moved to Madawaska in 1958 and made their home on Riverview Street where they had their remaining five sons and one daughter. Her neighbors became very special people in her life. Jeannette and her husband worked extremely hard and made many sacrifices to ensure that they could provide their children with a healthy and loving home. Jeannette loved being with her parents, her siblings and her siblings children just as much as she did her own children. "Life is all about family", she said in her final days before her passing. She loved to travel, shop, "dress for the occasion", watch old movies, read, sing and hum tunes which she herself created that would make any music composer envious. We mustn't forget, she was a great collector too. History was a favorite of hers. She especially enjoyed viewing period and plantation homes. For decades she played cards with many special friends who became known to her children as "The Scat Club". Jeannette was a member of St. David Catholic Church, Daughters of Isabella, and Daughters of St. Anne. In addition to her husband, Jeannette is survived by all of her nine children; Ronald "Jeff" and his wife Madeline "Mado", Reginald "Rick" and his wife Gail, Michael "Mike" and his wife Pat, and Peter all of Madawaska, David and his wife Helen "Nell" of Lebanon, CT, Larry and his wife Cecile of Hampden, John and his partner Mark of Portland, Karen Chessie and her husband Fearman "Tom" of Sarasota, Florida, and Shawn and his wife Mona of Frenchville. Grandchildren, Joshua, Samantha, Shelly, Jessica, Randy, Ryan, Erika, Christine, Rachelle, Isaac, Abby, Todd and Claudia. Great grandchildren; William, Lila, Alex, Ethan, Colby, Victoria, Kole, Abigail, Lillian and Laken. Six siblings, Cecile Paradis and her husband Royden of Fort Kent, Reno and his wife Anabel "Ann" of Belgrade, Leonette Gendreau of Madawaska, Nelson and his wife Kathy of So. Yarmouth, MA, Florence "Marlene" Pelletier and husband Clarence of St. David, and Doris Staples of St. Agatha. Sisters-in-law Carol Deschaine of New Cumberland, PA and Cecile Ingraham of Houlton. Brother-in-law Donald Libby of Fort Fairfield. God -children, Carol (Ingraham) Gray of Bucksport,and Paula (Gendreau) Techiera of Seabrook, NH, many nieces and nephews too numerous to mention individually. Special friends Yvonne Ladden Bourgoin, Romeo, Rita ("My best friend") and David Bouchard of Frenchville. Jeannette was predeceased by her mother, Edwina, father, Emile H., brother Reginald, sister Bernadette Libby, mother-in-law Celina (Albert) Bourgoin, father-in-law Walter Bourgoin, brothers-in-law Roland Gendreau, Paul Ingraham, and Russell Staples, grandson Robert Cyr , and God-child JoAnne (Libby) McGraw. The family would like to thank the supportive staff at EMMC in Bangor, Forest Hill Nursing Facility and NMMC both in Fort Kent for their assistance in making our mother's final days as comfortable as possible. Special heartfelt thanks and gratitude also go out to Shawn and Mona who opened up their home so Mom could continuously be with family to the very end. On the matter, Mom said, "I was so well treated, I have nothing bad to say." A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10am on Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at the St. David Church. Friends and family may call at Lajoie Funeral Home from 6-8pm on Monday, April 4, and from 9am until time of service on Tuesday. Interment will be at the St. David Cemetery later in the spring. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make a donation, in Jeannette's memory, to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023.