Obituary of Philip Joseph Boudreau

1938-2024 BOUDREAU, Phillip Joseph, Petit de Grat It is with broken hearts that we announce the death of our Dad, Phil Boudreau of Petit de Grat, who passed away peacefully at the Richmond Villa in St. Peters, NS, on March 14, 2024. Born May 16, 1938 in Arichat, Dad was the son of the late Francis and Violet (DeCoste) Boudreau. Besides his parents, he is predeceased by his 3 brothers Stanley, Laurier and Vernon and his sister Paula. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Céleste (Gallant) and his eight children: Claudette Boudreau of Rockland, ON; René Boudreau (Jill) of Thorburn, NS; Frances Boudreau (Marc Labranche) of Orléans, ON; Lynn Vallières (Paul Vallières) of Rockland, ON; Darryl Boudreau (Lynn) of Elmwood, PE; Hélène Boudreau (Gord Clarke) of Markham, ON; Phillip Boudreau (Sylvie) of Vernon, ON; and Natasha Boudreau (Alf Gosse) of Brockville, ON; He was also the proud Pépé of 16 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren: Kelsey, Logan, Sarah, Eric, Alexandre, Camille, André, Lucas, Charlotte, Marcelle, Joël, Evan, Shamus, Capri, Alexander, James, Olivia, Wyatt and Aurélia all dearly loved. Our dad was an experienced fisherman and boat builder, and delighted in taking family and visitors ‘pour une sail’ on the Miss PDG, leaving many of us with fond memories of hauling lobster traps, mackerel jigging, or clam digging. Some of the accomplishments he often ‘bragged about’ were of his winning the fish filleting contest in Lunenburg and, for a few minutes, holding the record for the largest tuna caught in the Strait. Proud of his Métis heritage, he was an avid hunter, which helped feed our large family, but also a mindful conservationist who farmed trout and mussels. Dad was well known and respected in his community as a skilled machinist and many local fishermen dropped by when he was ‘en train de bardasser dans la shed’ for advice on how to fix a motor, etc. Dad always seemed to know the right part or tool for the job. He loved fiddle music and often drove around the island ‘pour brûler de la gas’ to listen to ‘Scottish Strings’ on the radio. His biggest pride and joy in his later years was his grandchildren and great grandchildren and he always beamed at their accomplishments, often teasing; ‘t’es quasiment aussi smarte que ton Pépé’. Cremation has taken place. There will be no visitation. Funeral Mass will take place at 11:00 on Wednesday March 27th at St Joseph Church in Petit de Grat followed by burial at the Star of the Sea Cemetery, Petit de Grat with Rev. John DeCoste officiating. Reception will follow at St Joseph’s Parish Hall in Petit de Grat. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Star of the Sea Cemetery in Petit de Grat, or the Richmond Villa in St. Peter’s. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to C.H. Boudreau Funeral Home Ltd., Arichat. Tributes, words of comfort, and memories of Phil may be shared with the family at www.chboudreau.com