LEGACY OF HELPING OUT
Renaud dies at age 64
Windsor has lost a pillar of its charitable community with the death of Colleen Renaud, longtime general manager of the local Goodfellows.
“She was larger than life. She had a very big personality,” said Renaud’s daughter, Shannon Beaumont. “All she did was laugh and smile.”
Renaud died Wednesday morning after a yearlong battle with ovarian cancer. She was 64.
“People around her didn’t realize how sick she actually was because she had such a positive outlook,” Beaumont said.
“I kind of want the world to stop for just a second and appreciate the hundreds of thousands of people she’s touched over the years. If you do a quick calculation, the amount of food boxes per year and the average family size, the number is staggering.”
For more than 46 years, Renaud helped others through the Windsor Goodfellows. She started volunteering for the food bank in her late teens, and took on various roles until she became general manager in the 1980s — eventually the organization’s only paid position.
Beaumont said her mother’s passion for Goodfellows stemmed from childhood: Renaud came from a family with 19 kids. The sheer number of Renaud’s siblings meant constant scrimping, saving and hand-me-downs. Renaud didn’t own a new pair of shoes until she was a teenager.
“Growing up in poverty, it made her want to help as many people as she possibly could,” Beaumont explained.
Although Goodfellows are best known for their annual Christmas drive in which volunteers sell special edition newspapers, the charity assists those in need throughout the year.
Renaud’s leadership resulted in several of the current initiatives of Windsor Goodfellows, including the children’s footwear program and school breakfast program.
“She wanted folks to have dignity as well as help,” Beaumont said.
The holiday season is typically the busiest time of the year for the Goodfellows, with funds from its newspaper sales providing Christmas gifts and meals for families that would otherwise do without.
“It gets crazy right after Thanksgiving,” Beaumont said. “It was the happiest (my mother) ever was. She’d wear big, gaudy Christmas sweaters on purpose. Santa hats, bells on her ears, Christmas carols playing with the lights on.”
Windsor Goodfellows are entirely funded through donations and receive no government grants.
Beaumont, 43, has been serving as acting general manager since her mother was diagnosed, and she hopes to continue her mother’s legacy.
“Basically, I grew up here. I consider Windsor Goodfellows to be a part of my immediate family,” she said. “I would like to honour her memory by making sure that her mandate keeps going: We help as many people as possible in as many ways as possible.”
True to Renaud’s character, her generosity extended even in death: Her eyes were given to the organ donor program.
News of Renaud’s death spread quickly, with many prominent members of the community offering their condolences and respects. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens issued a statement on Facebook on Thursday morning paying tribute to Renaud.
“I’m deeply saddened to say goodbye to such a wonderful person who has done so much good for our community,” wrote Dilkens, who noted that he began volunteering for the Goodfellows when he was 16.
“I’m a better person for having known her, as are the tens of thousands of people she has helped over the years. On behalf of all Windsorites, I extend my deepest appreciation and say thank you to such a special lady .... You made our city better.”
Beaumont said Dilkens contacted her personally and will be contributing remarks to be read at Renaud’s funeral service. “For him to reach out while travelling overseas was very touching.”
Renaud is survived by her husband of 47 years, Randy, three children, six grandchildren and numerous extended family members.
Beaumont said her mother’s No. 1 hobby was attending the activities of her grandchildren. “She would travel to Chicago for my daughter’s cheerleading events, Ottawa for my nephew’s football games. If there was an event, she was there.”
Beaumont said there’s a plaque at Windsor Goodfellows that jokes about her mother’s nature.
“At Goodfellows, we have rules in place. You need to show certain things — ID and that sort of thing,” Beaumont said.
“But we have to understand, the folks who come into Goodfellows maybe don’t run on the same clock as other folks. They would come in and not have what they needed. She would always say, ‘This one time, I’ll help you out.’ Of course, it was never one time.
“So someone made a plaque and put it on her desk. It says: ‘Just this one time.’ ”
Arrangements have been made with Families First funeral home (3260 Dougall Ave.). Visitation will take place Saturday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A service will be held on Monday starting at 11:30 a.m., with interment to follow at Heavenly Rest Family of Catholic Cemeteries (5005 Howard Ave.).
The Renaud family asks that any donations be directed to Windsor Goodfellows, whether monetary or in the form of canned goods. Call 519-252-2739 or visit www.windsorgoodfellows.org.