Obituary of Paul Jean Pierre Demeulemeester

Paul Demeulemeester, a long time resident of Chetwynd, B.C. passed away on Thursday, January 7, 2016 in Chetwynd at the age of 83 years. Over the years the family has enjoyed listening to Dad share his life stories. This bio is only a snapshot of his remarkable life. Dad was born in Pronne, France in 1932. He was the youngest of 5 children. Dad often talked about the joy of working on the farm with his family and the simple, but resourceful life they lived. However, Dad's family experienced the hardships of WW II. It was only as we got older and Dad shared more stories that we fully realized the destruction of war that Dad had lived through. In 1950, Dad immigrated with his parents to Canada, spending the first three years in Ontario. During this time Dad worked for the railway and on an apple farm and began to learn English. When Dad's brother, Pete, came to Canada a few years later, Dad's family decided to make the journey to the Peace region. Dad and his brother Pete had a dream to be lumberjacks when they arrived in Little Prairie in 1953. They both eventually went from being lumberjacks and formed the Peter and Paul Demeulemeester sawmill and logging operation. It was through logging that Dad met mom, where she was working with her parents at a logging camp. This meeting led to a courtship and eventual marriage in 1962. The early years of mom and dad's marriage were spent living and working in logging camps around the Boucher Lake area. Mom and Dad have both often said that those years are some of their best memories. It was during this time Dad worked with and forged strong friendships with many of the aboriginal families living at Moberly Lake. That strong connection with the aboriginal community lasted his entire life and he was respected as an honorary elder. A family of 5 children followed the marriage. Monica was born in 1962, followed by Mark in 1964, Paulo in 1968, Nicole in 1971, and Dianne in 1978. In 1971, Dad built the house in the Rodeo Sub for his growing family, a home in which he lived up until his passing. We have so many wonderful stories and memories of Dad from our childhood whether it was in the bush with him while he was working, at the Boucher Lake farm, or at home in Chetwynd. Dad was a hard worker and he always took pride in his work ethic. Dad engineered and built many of the mountain roads in the Peace Region. When his sons were old enough, they joined Dad in the logging industry and worked alongside of him until Dad retired. Dad settled into active retirement in his mid 60s. After years of hard work, he was now able to focus on spending more time with his family and his life's passions, which included a love of planting trees and working in his garden. His garden was visited and enjoyed by many Chetwynd residents over the years. Dad spent several summers working as the caretaker at the Carbon Lake lodge and the grass and gardens flourished under his care. He also spent many hours working at his farm. The farm was a favourite gathering spot for many family get-togethers over the years. In the past few years Dad loved visiting the sites of his old sawmills and places he had worked in his younger years and sharing his stories of those times. Dad always took the time to visit with his old friends at their homes or the hospital. What gave Dad the most joy in his retirement was the time he was able to spend helping to raise all of his grandchildren. "Grandpa Pancake", as he was affectionately known, spent many hours with his grandkids. It wasn't very often that you would see Grandpa without grandkids by his side. Like Dad's children, each of his grandkids has endless stories of happy times spent with Grandpa. Dad also loved dogs and he often had one as a companion to take with him to the bush and the farm. Dad was a compassionate man who accepted and helped people no matter what their circumstances. He modeled for us to never judge people, and to help others whenever we could. We often commented that Dad would give the shirt off his back to someone who needed it. He always encouraged everyone to "never give up" and to "stay strong." Dad often told us how proud he was of us, especially when we were going through challenging times. He was especially proud of how his children/grandchildren all stayed close and worked together: "The roots are in the family," he would often say. Dad must have planted some good roots because there is no stronger example of how much we loved and respected our Dad/Grandpa than these past few months as we gathered as a family to share stories, tears, laughter and good byes as Dad prepared for his next journey. The "roots of family" Dad lovingly planted are his legacy that will continue to grow for many years to come. Dad was one of the original pioneers of Chetwynd and spent 63 years of his life in the area. He will be remembered and missed by many. Dad's wish was to be cremated. A celebration of his life will take place in the summer 2016, at the Demeulemeester farm. Left to cherish his memory is his Wife; Lucy, Children; Monica (Darrell), Mark (Shannon), Paul (Teena), Nicole (Peter), Dianne (Clay), his sister Genieve, his grandchildren, great grandsons, nieces, nephews and friends. For friends so wishing donations may be made in memory of Paul to the Healing Garden at the Chetwynd Hospital through the Chetwynd Planning Society Box 2049, Chetwynd, B.C. V0C1J0. Very Respectfully Reynars Funeral Home & Crematorium