Albert René LACROIX

Retired Hearst businessman Albert René Lacroix, 76, of 47 Ninth St. died the evening of Oct. 31, 2001 - just five days before his 77th birthday - at Notre-Dame Hospital, following a four-month heart condition. Born Nov. 5, 1924 in Ste-Dorothée, Laval, Quebec, he grew up in St-Martin and Cartierville, north of Montreal. At 18, he became a telegraph operator for Canadian National in Morin Heights, north of Montreal, before transferring to Hearst in 1946 as an assistant freight agent. Moonlighting as a bookkeeper for Albert Mongeon's Texaco garage, he later became a Texaco products consignee from 1958-1986 at the former Front St. East bulk plant (now Entreprises Pepco). Diversifying into vehicle parts and jobber machinery supplies sales, he also operated a septic tank service. Renowned as a workhorse for his 15-hour workdays, six days a week, 52 weeks a year, he retired in October 1986. He then wintered in Fort Lauderdale - his "paradise on earth" - and summered at Shallow Lake cottage northwest of Mattice. There he kepy busy with Sunday family dinners, such handyman projects as making decorative lanterns and spot lights, installing an irrigation system, and his new-found hobby of birdhouses and feeding ducks and geese. He was a member of the Hearst Knights of Columbus and Club des aîné-e-s seniors centre. In 1997 he began discretely commissioning and installing various heritage billboard signs around town, such as at town hall, the pioneer Adélard Blais home at Kitchener and Ninth Sts, the Hearst Knights of Columbus Centre, St. Matthew's Park, and most recently at the municipal Monseigneur Grenier Cemetery. Predeceased by his mother Blanche-Yvonne Sauriol, father Roch Lacroix and brother-in-law Lionel Reeves, he leaves wife Cécile (née Camiré) Lacroix of Hearst, sons Raymond of Mission, Texas, Denis (Marie-Line) and Michel (Céline), all of Hearst, and Daniel Lacroix of Ottawa. Also surviving are a sister Gisèle Reeves of Montreal, granddaughters Anne, Renée, Juliane, Marie-Noëlle and Marie-France, grandsons Nicolas, Gabriel and Eric, and many sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Rev. Sébastien Groleau officiated the Nov. 3 service at the Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Cathedral. Cremation was done at Hillcrest Crematorium in Matheson, and interment is to follow at the Monseigneur Grenier Cemetery.