Letter to the Family

What follows is the note that was sent to the family on the evening on January 1, 2021 after the passing of Laurie Blais.

It is with profound sadness that I send you this note to apprise you that on January 1, 2021 at approximately 6:25 PM Mountain Time, Joseph (Laurie) Levern Blais passed away peacefully after a two-and-a-half-week battle with Covid-19 in the ICU at the University of Alberta hospital. Words cannot express the depth of our family’s sorrow. It is not known how both he and his wife Morea contracted the illness. Morea remains at home recovering and did not require hospitalization.

Laurie was taken to the emergency room at the University of Alberta on December 16. He was tested at that time and found to have Covid-19. His condition began to worsen while in Emergency, to the point of him being taken to the ICU. He was sedated into a coma, intubated, and placed on a ventilator to help him breath while the medical staff treated his condition. It was also determined that Laurie had pneumonia at the same time. For the next two weeks, Laurie was aggressively treated for these conditions. For a brief period in the middle of his treatment, he began to improve. This is a common aspect to the Covid-19 infection as the swelling of the lungs is decreased by the steroids and there is some improvement. The second stage is where the damage by the virus is revealed. Laurie’s lungs were already at a disadvantage given a previous condition making this an uphill battle.

It became clear that Laurie’s chances of recovery were non-existent due to the extensive lung damaged he had suffered from the virus. Keeping him on the ventilator was now just prolonging the inevitable. With this in mind, and being aware of Laurie’s wishes, the supports that were keeping him alive were removed. Surrounded by his family, both in person and in spirit, Laurie took his last breath and went home to be with his Saviour. We can just imagine the reunion with his parents and sisters.

As per Laurie’s explicit wishes, there will be no funeral service. He simply did not want this; and although it may not be what we would like, his wishes will be honoured. Laurie will be cremated and at a later date a private internment will take place with his wife and children present.

Although it is understood that you may want to call and express your condolences, we ask that you please refrain from calling. Feel free to express your sympathies by replying to this e-mail. I will be sure to share them with the rest of the family. You may also want to pass this note on to others to make them aware of this happening.

On a personal note, it feels like a part of my soul was torn out of my body today. I loved my dad. I loved him a lot. He wasn’t perfect. But he was ours. I am thankful for the time that I did have with him; for the things he taught me and for the times we shared together. He will always be a part of me and I look forward to the time when we can be united with him in heaven, with our Lord and Saviour.

Make sure you tell those close to you that you love them and spend every moment you can with them. You simply never know how much time you have.

Love you Dad.

Curt

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Notes of Condolence

Thank you, Curtis and I grieve with you, Loreen, and your entire family. My cinema of remembrance is overflowing with the great times we enjoyed. I pray the Lord will bless all and have a special sense of nearness to your mom. ~~ Wayne Land

Hello Curt. I’m sending you my heartfelt sympathy at this difficult time, but already the celebrations in heaven are going on with those who went before your dad. Now they are all reunited. Love, prayers, and hugs. "Grief never ends...but it changes. It's a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith...It is the price of love." ~~ Margaret Storey

I’m very sorry Curtis, Rhonda, Jerrid, and aunty Morea, I knew uncle Laurie very little, but I will forever keep the great memories I have with him. This is one of them: Last time we were there (2018) he took a whole day to hang out with Aliné, Jonah, and I (Nathan was in Aline’s belly). He picked us up early morning at your house, took us for a coffee, and drove us all morning around Edmonton, showing us every house “the Blais’s” have lived in. Then he took us for lunch at his house and aunty had some treats and sandwiches there for us. We hung out for a while there, but later Laurie took us to get some fish and chips for an early dinner. Jerrid and Krystal joined, we had a good time there. The cherry cake for that day was the Oilers game, Laurie, Jerrid, and we left for the new colosseum. Uncle Laurie would constantly carry Jonah in his arms. Oh, that day was very special, it was Jonás First Birthday. ¡Thank you Uncle! Dang, it sure sounds like an awesome day to remember Laurie, never imagined it was going to be our last one with him. ~~ Jonathan Blais

We are deeply saddened by this news today Curt. Truly love your family. Many, many prayers from this side of the river were given, and only that we are comforted by knowing He is home in glory. We do serve a merciful God. And are very much grateful to know we will be there one day as well. This is a hardship for any family and we sure would have loved to be there to comfort you all. This is when most families gather and are the strongest in presence. But we will respect his wishes and yours as well. From here we will be mourning with you and your mom and siblings. My father in law told me once, on the day I married his daughter “what you see is what you get”. Thank God in His mercy, He has opened our eyes to His grace and mercy of this life-changing gift of redemption and regeneration that He so graciously has given us, the elect. The pain is real, and the tears are flowing .only because we love. And we love one another because He loved us first. Soon and very soon we are going to see the king, this world is not my home, we are just passing through. But what a glorious day it will be when we can all be together again. Singing and praises all glory to God. We will continue to pray for you and your family. Pray for God to give you rest and peace with His decision. And may the God of all comfort hold you in His hands. Sending our sincere love and comfort. ~~ Ed and Donna Cadieux

Dear Curtis, Rhonda, Jerrid, and families. We are deeply saddened to hear this news. We prayed for a miracle, for new lungs, but our God had other plans. It is sometimes very hard to believe it is good in these situations, but there is. God knows the future and he knows what is best for all of us. We are now praying for all of you, All of your families, and especially for Morea. We will continue to pray God's will be done in the coming days and months. We will commit to pray for God's guidance, strength, and wisdom as you make more difficult decisions in the very near future. We want you to know we love you and are here to support you in any and every way possible. Love always. ~~ Aunty Lois, Uncle Dave and family

Hi Curt, I am so sorry to hear about your father's passing. He will be truly missed. May he rest in eternal peace. My family and I are holding you and your family in our thoughts during this difficult time. If there’s anything we can help with please do not hesitate to let me know. With deepest sympathy. ~~ Kenton King

Curtis, I am so sorry to hear about Uncle. I can feel your family's pain in my heart. Laurie was always so kind to all of our family. He would always take time to listen to me and my brothers. Especially when we were kids and spent more time together as a family. He showed us that adults do want to hear what kids have to say. Again know Uncle is in our thoughts and we all feel the loss inside. ~~ Terry & Nicole Stachniak

Dear Curtis, Rhonda, Jerrid, and family. Please accept my heartfelt condolences on this sorrowful loss. Laurie will be missed. I will never forget all the help and love that he gave us in many ways. He was an honorable man, very respected in the family, with a true and genuine love and care for his parents and family. He was a strong pillar for many of us and a man with lots of wisdom. I ask God to bless you and your family with strength and peace in your hearts. May the prayers of us who love you carry you through this time of sorrow. “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me: “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes, says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” Revelation 14:13. ~~ Patrícia M Blais

Curtis. We are sorry to hear that Laurie has passed away. Our deepest sympathies to Morea, you, and your family. We wish you peace and comfort as you grieve. You're in our thoughts and prayers. ~~ Gordon & Lavonna Trenchie, & Mike Barabash

Dear Curtis, Rhonda, Jerrid, and all of your wonderful family members, I am so sad to hear this news. I loved your dad so very much, and I wanted more time with him. Thank you for your note below with all of the details on his fight with COVID. My prayers are for all of you now. I love you all very much too. ~~ Lisa Adam

Curt. Words cannot express our feelings of sadness received today regarding your dad’s sickness and passing. Along with that is the fact that your mother has also been affected with Covid-19 and we are praying to God for her full recovery. We are totally grief-stricken. Your dad was the finest, caring person and friend to us for many years. He was most helpful in handling our real estate issues without hesitation. We always looked forward to weekly coffee meets, supper dates, and visits in general. We will miss him greatly! We are truly sharing your pain and misery and feel so helpless. May God bless you all at this trying time. ~~ Bill & Marge Boychuk / Shelley & John Podolski

Dear Morea; Curtis, Rhonda and Jerrid and families. It is with sadness and hope that I write this note. We are so sorry to hear the news of Laurie’s passing. Our hearts ache for you and the loss you all must feel. We are comforted to know and are assured that Laurie is in God’s care and at peace. We send you our love and will continue to pray for you all and for Morea. May God give you all His peace. Lots of Love. ~~ Leah & Bryan

Dear Blais Family. We are so very sad to hear this tragic news. We are sending our deepest sympathy to you all. We feel very blessed that we had an opportunity to chat with uncle Laurie in early December, and will cherish that opportunity forever. Keeping you all in our hearts and prayers, please let us know if there is anything we can do. Love & Prayers. ~~ Jodi & Moose

Dear Morea, Curtis, Jerrid & Rhonda. Our hearts and prayers with our deepest and most heart-felt condolences are with you and yours at this moment of profound grief and mourning. Your tears are ours. I wrote the following words yesterday in loving memory of my hero.

Hero

He was the first and only hero I ever had, burned my hand on the exhaust of his legendary baby blue BSA650 before I could walk, always there to help, always looking out for everyone, the problem solver, 'd give you the shirt off his back—a true heart of gold, forever to be missed, forever to be remembered, taking his place now in the loving arms of his father & mother and innumerable others in that great cloud of witnesses, how the mighty have fallen and how they have risen never to fall again.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit [be] with you and give you peace. With love. ~~ Loyal & Patricia Blais

I’m really saddened by this news of your dad’s death. I will be praying for you and your family as you trust Christ to lead you through this difficult valley. I pray that your hope in God’s power and word will assure you that your dad is with his Lord free from all suffering. I will also be praying for your family and Tim & Tylo as you navigate all the emotions that will be involved with their upcoming wedding and marriage. Bless you and Laureen for raising three fine young men. I’m sure your dad was extremely proud of his grandsons and you and Laureen. ~~ Pastor Darren Platt, Steele Heights Baptist Church

Hi Curt and Laureen. We just heard Curt’s dad passed away. We are so sorry. Please know that our prayers are with you and your family. God bless. ~~ Chris & Bonnie Coram

It's hard to express in a few words but please share with Curtis, how I have some comfort with the shock and loss of my Mom. We are made from our parents, they will always be part of us in the very creation of our body. They are forever part of us. And yes, there will be a joyous reunion in heaven. In the meantime, The Comforter is with you always. ~~ Bart & Marie Demkiw

I'm so sorry Laureen for the loss your family is experiencing right now. I pray that God will comfort you all and give you the strength you need for each day. We love you both so very much. ~~ Laura Mackie

May you guys sense the Father’s blanket of peace and love today even more so than ever, believing for continued strength for Curt, his mum n the Blais family today and the days ahead. Hugs from the Capital. ~~ Ben Hudgin

We are so sorry to hear of Curt’s dads passing. We will pray for you all. May God be comforting right now and hold you all tight. ~~ Monica & Douglas Braulick

Morea and family, it is with sadness that we heard of Laurie’s passing away. We have some great memories of connecting with Laurie and you and your family. As your pastor back in those years, we recall the joy of seeing the growth in your walk with the Lord, and the memory of being part of Curtis and Laureen’s wedding, and the help Laurie gave us in selling our home, and now recently having the privilege of meeting Tim at Prairie. We will be praying for you, confident in God’s promise of His comfort and trusting His promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, where we will be all together again. God bless you. ~~ Ron and Ruth Berg

Rhonda, I’m completely broken hearted to hear this. My mom told me this morning but I was waiting to hear from a member of your family. I’m so sorry. I’ve been out of sorts all day thinking about this. How much more do we all have to endure? You guys have my most sincere and deepest condolences for your loss. This news hurts so much. My love and prayers go out to you and all your family. Please take care and thanks for letting us know. I’m so sorry! ~~ Cameron Proskiw

Oh Rhonda... I’m so sorry for your loss... I know how close you were/are with your dad. My heart is broken for you & your family. Your dad was a wonderful, caring man/father. We shared interesting conversations through the years. Please accept our most heartfelt condolences and send love to your mom- we wish her well. Thinking and praying for all of you at this difficult time. Please remember I’m here for you! May his memory be eternal; God rest his soul. ~~ Angie Antonopoulos ( John & Thalia Antonopoulos)

Hi Rhonda, I heard about your Father passing away from my sister. Patricia and I are very sorry to hear that. Our condolences to you and your family. ~~ Niko and Patricia Antonopoulos

Condolences to you & the family. So sorry to hear about your dad. ~~ George Antonopoulos

Curtis, I am so sorry to hear about Laurie's passing. My condolence to you and your family, Laurie was part of the office for the last 10 years, although he didn't come in that often I enjoyed learning from him in our monthly meetings (when we had them) and just talking about real estate and his experiences. He was a well-respected agent in the industry he served over the years. I understand this is an incredibly difficult time as I went through this experience with my father 3 years ago, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you and your family. ~~ Curtis Stasiuk

Grasping the thought of Laurie not being here, has brought me tears every day! However, knowing he is at a Better place with God, helps me understand our loss. With sympathy, Love to you and your family. ~~ Aunt Doreen

Praying for you and family as you morn your love one. May the Lord give you strength and comfort as you grieve along with your love ones. Dios les fortalezca y les dé su paz. ~~ Pastor Ed Jaentschke (Bluefields, Nicaragua)

Curtis, Laureen & family. Our deepest condolences to you and your family for the sudden loss of your father. This is heartbreaking. Please know we are uplifting you in prayer, asking for God's peace, understanding and strength as you navigate this difficult time (on so many levels). May your sadness be lessened with a lifetime of memories and knowing you will meet again one day. ~~ Rich & Leslie Duperron

I was saddened to learn of the passing of your father. He is the oldest cousin on my dad's side. I loved his quick laugh. He was always so classy. We lived quite busy lives so I never saw him often but each time we met it was like no time had passed. I lost my father about four years ago now and still can hardly believe my wonderful dad is gone. He was my mentor, my spiritual guide, my confidant, and my wisdom in many situations. Having a great dad is truly a blessing. May you feel God's presence as you grieve. May you always remember you will meet again. May His light shine upon you and give you peace. I send you love and hugs. ~~ Joann Cadieux Huffman

Hi Curtis, I am so sorry to hear of Laurie’s passing. I have worked with your Dad for 25 years, enjoyed our meetings, and will miss him. Please pass on condolences to your family. ~~ Scott Mockford

Dearest Morea & Family. Bart and I are sending you our deepest sympathy. We are lifting you all in prayer and trusting The Lord to send His Great Comforter. He promised never to leave or forsake you and this is TRUTH. And Dear Morea, You are so precious to the Lord and deeply loved. In this very difficult time in our world, we can not gather together, but we know that The Lord has sent Faith-filled & Faithful servants to care for you and help you through this. Both Bart and I are always here for You and your children, in whatever capacity is needed. And as I said at my Dad's 75th Birthday party, If you would like me to pray with you, I am here for you. Dearest Morea, YOU ARE and will continue to be, covered in prayer. We are sending you love and hugs and are here for you all. Love & Prayers. ~~ Marie & Bart Demkiw

Dearest Morea and Family. Jason and I have learned of Laurie’s passing, and we are so very sorry. We would like to offer you and your family our deepest and sincerest condolences for the loss of your beloved husband and father. May you be comforted by the outpouring of love and prayers being said for you during this difficult time of sadness and grief. With love. ~~ Michelle and Jason Berry

Dear Curtis. With love and prayer for each of you. IN TIMES OF SORROW. When words of comfort are needed most, they are most difficult to say. May you find comfort in knowing that love and prayers are with you and your family and your MOM AND RHONDA and your brother and all your aunts, Lisa, Lois, Leah, and Uncle Loyal. We love you all. ~~ Uncle Gerry, Aunt Mae, and Family

Morea, Curtis, Rhonda, Jerrid, and family. I am so very sorry to hear of Laurie's passing. He was a true gentleman, with a big heart and always had a smile on his face. Never missed a family function no matter what it was. Such a caring cousin. My heart goes out to all of you. Laurie will be missed by all that knew him. May he Rest In Peace. ~~ Bonnie & Bert Cordingley

To all the Laurie Blais family. It saddens us to hear of Laurie’s passing. I remember my cousin some 68 years ago when Uncle Lavern and Auntie Louise moved into a house on Johnston Road where we played hide and seek in the horse barns. I love playing with my cousin and we all had so much fun. Loss is always heartbreaking but memories will be shared forever. Our heartfelt condolences. ~~ Leona Forcier and Family

Hi Curtis. I am a cousin to your father which I was so shocked and saddened to hear of his passing. He was such an amazing man and had a heart of gold. Your mother and I would send cute or silly things back & forth on messenger but I was wanting to send my deepest condolences and my heartfelt sympathy to her Morea & with you & the family. So, So Sorry. He will be dearly missed. RIP Laurie. May you find strength and love knowing people care to get you through these heartbreaking times. Love & Hugzzz. ~~ Teresa Forcier

I am deeply saddened by Laurie’s passing. I know you were close to him and I’m sure this must be very overwhelming for you and your family. The Laurie I connected with was a very thoughtful man who was fiercely proud of his family. I feel very privileged to have been able to get to know and eventually meet him. Please know that you can reach out if you need someone to talk to. He will be missed, may he rest in peace. We send our sincerest condolences to you and to your family. ~~ Brent & Teri

Pam advised me of Laurie’s death, and I was very saddened to hear of that occurrence. My deepest sympathies to you and your family. I really enjoyed my visits with Laurie and to do business with him & yourself was the utmost pleasure. All his purchasers were most easy to deal with due to Laurie respecting their wishes and him finding a property that was exactly what they all desired. I think in all the years I had the pleasure of our visits I can only think of one time he was upset. That single instance had nothing to do with work but had a lot to do with too much water damaging your family cabin south of Sicamous near Mara Lake. Me, I have few pictures of anything but my family trips here and there, but I recall Laurie having numerous shots of the almost demise of the cabin. He sure did like that cabin and its location, even when he discovered the water rose to unmanageable levels. He was in my humble opinion the most efficient, honest, helpful realtor that I had the pleasure to deal with in my many years as a Mortgage consultant. He gave me the honor many times of assisting other family members with their requirements and I really appreciated the Trust he bestowed to me to be of assistance. We certainly all will miss him, but never forget him in our thoughts. I wish that your mother recovers well and quickly from this Covid Pandemic as well. Best wishes to you and the family members! My very best to you Rhonda at this sad time. ~~ Keith & Jessie Gilmour

Robert and I were very saddened to hear of the passing of your dad. (I’m not on Facebook and so Louberta called and let us know). This must be very difficult for you as you mourn the loss of your precious dad under these Covid 19 restrictions. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you, the boys, and your mom. I’ve thought about how hard this will be for her to lose her husband and still be recovering from Covid herself. She will be in our daily prayers as we pray for her in her time of sickness, mourning, and acceptance of her life without her loving husband. Thankfully we know your folks loved the Lord and know that this isn’t our home. We all have the hope of rejoining our loved ones- one day in heaven. I know your children will feel a lot as well. As siblings, we’ve lost our dad, brother, and mom (this last spring). The pain will pass and mourning breaks to new dawn....and thankfully we have the hope for seeing them again. In the meantime all the memories good and bad are there to remind us of their roles in our lives- these become such precious memories for us. So - we send our love, thoughts, and prayers to you, your mom, and the boys. Hugs. ~~ Erlean & Robert

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your father. My heart goes out to you, your brother, and your mom. We will continue to pray for your mom to fully recover from COVID. This has to be so difficult as she is also mourning the loss of her best friend of over 50 years, and you are mourning the loss of a father from thousands of miles away. I am so sorry, Rhonda. Thank you for your kind email, letting me know about my staff and how they have reached out to you during this difficult time. I am very blessed to have the best staff who genuinely care about others. Thank you for taking the time to inform me even in your time of sorrow. Please know that you and your family are very loved at KCS and we will continue to lift your whole family up in prayer. Please let us know if we can help in any way. In Christ. ~~ Robyn Ahn (principal at Kaimuki Christian School)

Happy New Year, Rhonda! Sending you, Charlie, and your family all of my love and prayers during this difficult time. I am very sad to hear about your dad's passing. May you and your family continue to feel God's presence as He gives your dad eternal rest and provides you, Charlie, your brothers, and your mom with the strength needed to push forward and heal. Please know that the Lord will always there to walk beside and guide us through darkness and sorrow, leading us back to peace. May the Lord comfort, protect, and bless you. ~~ Mrs. Tomokiyo (Charlie's Homeroom Teacher)

I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the unexpected loss of your Dad. This is heartbreaking and shocking. He was an amazing man, one whom I cherished getting to know and spending time with. I've been sitting here since you sent me the initial email informing me of what happened... shocked and broken-hearted for you. Thank you for sending it to me. That was so kind of you for letting me know that way rather than by finding out online. Please let me know if there's anything at all I can do, at any time. I understand your Mom's wishes right now for space. Please know that between you and I, if she needs anything and you need it to be picked up and dropped off, I am always just a phone call away for you to let me know what she needs and I can be off to complete the task for either of you. I know how close you and your Dad are and with the distance and shutdowns this must have been unbearable for you. I sat here all day yesterday trying to express my deepest condolences to send to you and your family. Your poor Mom. And instead of being able to articulate and compose my thoughts into sentences, I cried and reminisced on all the beautiful memories shared between you and me and your family. I've been trying to come up with the right words to say to make all of this pain go away for you. The truth is, I can't. There is nothing I could ever say to ease your sorrow, and I'm sorry for that. While I can't take the pain away, I can and do promise to be here for you. Anytime you need me, I'm here. Please reach back when you're able. ~~ Deni Beauvais

Rhonda I just wanted to give my condolences for the loss of your father. I never got the opportunity to meet him but from what I heard about him he was a wonderful man. He reached out to me through email once on my birthday and it was a very nice gesture that I won’t forget. I wanted to let you know that Chelsea, Chloe, and I are all thinking of you and the rest of your family in these tough times and we hope you guys are able to stay strong. ~~ Cody Perry

Rhonda, I am so sorry to hear about your dad! I just heard. Our deepest condolences to you and your family. ~~ Pam Gilmour Peters

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a shock it was to see the email from the board about his passing. And what a great picture of him. Your Dad was a truly great man, (albeit very opinionated) with strong convictions. When he felt something was wrong he made sure he did his part to try to correct it. I really admired him and looked up to him. We had some great conversations standing in his garage (in which I envied because everything had its place - so tidy). He was kind enough to lend me his awesome utility trailer several times over the years and now I finally have one that I want to fix it up to be just like his. I hope once the restrictions are lifted that there will be a celebration of life for a proper send-off. Take care of yourself and your family and be sure to take the time to grieve. ~~ Dave Bowman

We were so saddened to read this news. So well written, explaining what happened. We have lifted you and your Mother and the other family members up in prayer. We did not see any obituary except this email. We trust your Mom has recovered completely. She used to email me frequently. Things cannot be easy for her. Please let her know she is in our thoughts and prayers. We are so thankful for the promise of our eternal home with our Lord and Saviour. ~~ Eloise and Uncle Paul

Hello Curtis, Laureen, and family. I was just talking with Leslie Duperron and was told about the loss of your dad. I am so sorry. I can’t even imagine the grief you are feeling! Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. ~~ Kathy and Todd Clark