Jacques GRATTON

Jacques Gratton, of Hearst The funeral service for retired engineer and longtime Hearst area resident Jacques Adélard Gratton was held July 2, 2008. He died June 29 at Notre-Dame Hospital at age 87. Born May 2, 1921 in Ste-Geneviève, Québec, he came to Lac Ste-Thérése in 1934. A jovial person and storyteller, he worked as a stationary engineer for the former Fontaine Lumber operation, CFB Lowther base east of Mattice, and later for Dominion Glass in Montréal until his mid-50s. A Knight of Columbus, he enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hunting and playing cards. He was predeceased by his wife Cécile (née Bouthillier) Gratton in 1999, a daughter Hélène Gratton in 1985 in Hull, Qué., and brothers-in-law Gérard Desfossés in Hearst and Georges Desfossés in Montréal. He leaves daughters Jacqueline (Donald) Banks and Solange (Fred Perkins) Gratton, all of North Bay, Suzanne (Louis Boily) Gratton and Louise (Stéphane) Vigeant, all of Gatineau, Qué., Diane (Normand) Gratton of Gananoque, Ont., and Angèle (companion Jules Fournier) Gratton of Hearst, and sons René (Julie Charbonneau) , Bernard (Roseanne) , Réjean (Jocelyne) , and Emile Gratton, all of Hearst. Also surviving are sisters Cécile Desfossés of Ottawa and Simonne Desfossés of Montréal, and a brother George (Marie-Jeanne) Gratton of Gatineau, Qué., as well as 24 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. Rev. René Grandmont directed the service at Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Cathedral. Interment followed at Monsignor Pierre Grenier Cemetery. Commemorative donations may be made to the Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, or Hearst Foyer des pionniers Nursing Home.