Bouvier, Colette Marie (Roy)

Colette Marie Bouvier (Roy) of West Hartford, CT passed away with love and grace, surrounded by her family Monday September 6, 2021. She had just celebrated a joyful gathering for the holiday weekend with her children, when she was presented with a commissioned portrait of her as a young immigrant to the U.S. She was living the “American Dream”. Colette was born on May 5, 1932 to Louis Roy and Marie Louise (Grant) Roy in St. Félicité, Quebec, Canada. She moved to Hartford, CT, at the age of 17 to learn English. That is where she met and married the late Robert F. Bouvier, with whom she shared 59 blessed years. Colette partnered with her husband as he built a successful business, caring for their six children all through her long life. She supported, prayed for and encouraged all who had the privilege of being touched by her generous, kind and loving soul. Colette had joie de vivre. She enjoyed adventures with her children and grandchildren, stayed active and engaged in everyone's lives. Even as she grew old, she never passed up the opportunity to travel and be with her children. We are grateful to our dear mother for modeling what love is: patient, gentle, always seeing good in every person. Her kind words, the ability to speak life and hope into all our lives: children, grandchildren, friends and family, was the fruit of her deep faith and cultivated prayer life. Colette was known for her cooking and hospitality. She was the queen of comfort food, and was certain that her soup, shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie and strawberry rhubarb pie could heal any ailment. She filled her kitchen with pickles, canned tomatoes and always had a food gift to send home with visitors. Her garden gave her great pleasure and enjoyed her daily attention. She was a long time communicant of St. Brigid's Church. She taught CCD and participated in Lady's Guild activities in support of the school and church community. She and her husband Bob formed life-long friendships there that they cherished dearly. She is predeceased by her parents, Louis and Marie Louise (Grant) Roy, two siblings who passed as children, Gilles and Bertrand (I) Roy, her sister Bibianne (Roy) Lavoie, Bibianne's daughter Aliette Lavoie, her brothers Patrick and Armand Roy, her sonin-law Thomas Desmarais, and her granddaughter Havilah Sabella. Colette is survived by her children, Valerie Sabella and her husband Ken of Plymouth, MA and their children Jeremy (Sarah) , Hayley, Christian,

and Gabriel; Denise Desmarais of West Hartford, CT and children Nicholas (Jennifer), Gregory (Kim) and Emily; Robert Bouvier and his wife Dorothy of West Hartford, CT and children Brendan, Shannon, and Kellen; Gregory Bouvier of Farmington, CT and his children Danielle and Michael; Nicole Pilon, and her husband David of Farmington, CT, and their children Bethany and Adam; Richard Bouvier and his wife Nicole of West Hartford, CT and their children Jackson, Mitchel, and Perry. Colette is also survived by her brother Lawrence Roy and his wife Jacqueline of Pierrefonds, Quebec Canada; her sister Dolores Roy of Walton, Quebec, Canada, her brother Bertrand Roy of St-jean-sur-richelieu, Quebec, Canada, and her brother Louis Marie Roy of Levis, Quebec, Canada as well as many nieces and nephews. Special thanks to Colette's caregivers at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, New London. We are deeply grateful for their remarkable compassion. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Monday, September 13, 2021 at 10:00 AM at the Church of St. Peter Claver, 47 Pleasant St. West Hartford. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations may be

made to Medical Aid to Haiti :https://medicalaidtohaiti. org/donate/, 185 Asylum St. 25th floor, Hartford, CT, 06103, St. Jude's Children Research hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis TN, 38105, https:// www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html, or to St. Peter Claver. Duksa Family Funeral Homes at Fisette-batzner, 20 Bonair Ave., Newington is serving her family. To share a condolence or memory, please visit at www.duksa.net.

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