LAPOINTE, Henri Rene Joseph

With much love and deep sadness, we share the news of the passing of Henri Lapointe. Henri passed on June 11, 2020, after being diagnosed with leukemia in April. He is survived by his beloved spouse of 61 years, Elizabeth (Liz) Lapointe (nee Martin), his children, Lisa, Cindy and Lance Lapointe and Erin McCulloch, and eight grandchildren, Jenny, Denise and Adam Jones, Nathan Wohl, Arielle and Brittney McCulloch, and Matthew and Emily Lapointe, as well as his two small great-grandchildren; Clara and Quinn Norris-Jones. Predeceased by his beloved grandson, Jeremy Wohl. Also missing him deeply are his sons-in-law, Mark Wohl and Garth McCulloch, his grandson-in-law, Joel Norris-Jones, and his favourite daughter-in-law; Anita Lapointe. He is also survived by his brother, Barry Lapointe and many extended family members. Dad was the centre of our large and boisterous family and instilled a deep love of family and celebration in all of us. Born in Burnaby on April 1, 1937 to Maurice Paul and Lucille (Bourque) Lapointe, Henri remained a proud and well-known member of the Burnaby "Heights" community for virtually all of his 83 years and was a member of St. Helen’s parish for as long. The only period in which he left the Heights was for a few short years in the late 1940s, when his parents moved the family to Likely, BC. This foray into the wilds of the Cariboo instilled in Henri a life-long commitment to urban life. Graduating from Vancouver College, Henri dreamed of becoming a pilot and obtained his Pilot’s License at the age of 21. Though his love of planes and flight remained constant throughout his life, his career path shifted, and he joined the family food supply business in 1959, remaining a stalwart of that industry until his retirement at the age of 63. Dad loved his family deeply and remained engaged and interested in the lives of his children and grandchildren until the end. Henri had a way of creating a special bond with everyone he met, and he and Liz enjoyed many wonderful times over the decades with best friends Jon and Betty DeGryp and Harry and Louise Kirkpatrick. His best friend from his earliest years, "Chappie" Ken O’Neill, remained a life-long friend. With Liz, the "two Hits and a Miss" enjoyed many adventures. Henri also cherished time at their Campbell River house, enjoying seafood extravaganzas and spending hours surveying the ocean from "Papa’s chair" on the deck. Of all his great loves, Henri’s deepest love was for his wife, Liz, and his time spent with her was always his favorite. Dad passed away peacefully while holding Mom’s hand - the safest place in the world for him. Due to the unprecedented times, the family will be celebrating Henri’s life with a private Funeral Mass to ensure the safety of loved ones. In lieu of flowers, donations to the BC Cancer Foundation would be appreciated. Condolences for the family can be found at www.bellburnaby.com.