Frances Geraldine Gagnon

On Friday September 22, 2023, Frances Geraldine Gagnon (Hanley) passed away peacefully at the Campbellton Regional Hospital at the age of 86 with her husband and two children by her side.  Diagnosed with ALS in the spring, Frances fought this difficult illness with courage and grace until the end.

Frances was born in Dalhousie on July 4, 1937, to the late John Albert Hanley and Deline (Doucet) Hanley.  After marrying her soulmate Ghislain (Jet) Gagnon in 1958, they spent one year living in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli Quebec before moving back to her beloved town of Dalhousie.  She not only loved the beauty and scenery of the town, but she loved its people.  Frances was well known in the community through her work as a pharmacy technician at Shoppers Drug Mart for many years, a job she loved.  Even years after her retirement people still would refer to her as the “lady pharmacist”.  She was a member of the CWL for many years and enjoyed volunteering in the community including helping out during the Canada Games and at the Restigouche Golf Club.  An avid knitter, she made and provided many “prayer shawls” for patients in the hospital and residents in the local care homes. Frances liked to be active and in her younger years enjoyed a great round of golf or a beautiful day cross-country skiing.  For decades, rain or shine, she never missed her daily walk and could be seen walking on highway 134 when they lived in Pt. La Nim, giving a friendly wave to cars driving past.   

Frances was very proud of her two children Gilles and Lisa, had a great love for them and their partners Moira and Martyn and adored her two grandchildren Erica and Simon proudly sharing stories and pictures of their lives with her friends.

Frances will be sadly missed by her family and friends and her infectious smile and warm personality will be a lasting memory.  She is survived by her loving husband Ghislain (Jet) Gagnon, her son Gilles Gagnon (Moira) of Rothesay and her grandchildren Erica Zwicker (Matthew) of Halifax and Simon Gagnon of Toronto, her daughter Lisa Gagnon-Norris (Martyn) of Farnham England, her sister Judy Tribe of Dalhousie and brother Joe Hanley of Bathurst.  She was predeceased by brothers John (Jackie) Hanley, Arthur Hanley, Thomas Hanley, Michael Hanley, and sisters Kathleen Lincoln, Theresa Marion, Cele Savoy, Louise Levesque, and Pat Rankin.

The family wish to thank the Restigouche Extra Mural team, The Stan Cassidy Centre, the ALS Society of New Brunswick/Nova Scotia, the Campbellton Regional Hospital Palliative care nurses and doctors, and the pharmacy team at Jean Coutu Dalhousie for all their assistance, professionalism, and kindness over the past year.

Donations in Frances’ memory can be made to the ALS Society of NB and NS.

Arrangements for a service will be made at a later date. Funeral arrangements are in the care of MacMillans & Drapeau Funeral Home, Black Point. 

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