Hector Poirier

It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our dad, grandpa, great grandpa, brother, uncle, and friend to many, Hector Poirier, who passed away on Friday, September 24, 2021 at the age of 89. Hector is predeceased by his loving wife Dorothy; his brother Marcel (Vimmy); four of his sisters, Tootsie (Joe), Emma (Gordon), Florence (Fred), Julie (Reg); his son-in-law Kent; and his mother and father, Gladys and Louis. He is survived by his sister Bella (Ben, deceased); his brother in law Fred (Mila); his daughters, Carmen, Nancy, Suzanne, Wendy (Mark) and Paulette; along with his grandchildren Ashley, Alexa (Rod), Joel, Ty, Clayton, Paige, Luc, Adjani and Emani; his great grandchildren Savannah and Arissa; and many nieces and nephews.

Hector began his life on a homestead in Cold Lake, Alberta where, with his French Canadian roots, he learned to work hard on the farm and play harder at the rink or on the lake. Hector always found the time to socialize and laugh with his extended family and friends.

As a young man Hector chose to spread his wings, literally, as he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and became a navigator on CF-100 jet fighters. While stationed in St. Hubert, Quebec, he met Dorothy, whose zest for life matched his own, and they were married in August of 1957. After leaving the Air Force due to the cancellation of the Avro Arrow project, Hector and Dorothy settled in Edmonton where they raised their five girls and taught school.

Hector had a long career in education that began in a one room school in Fort McMurray. He became the principal of a string of elementary schools across west Edmonton starting at Our Lady of Victories, moving to Notre Dame, Good Shepherd, and ending his career at Holy Cross – a large French Immersion school spanning kindergarten to 9th grade. Even after long days of teaching young children, Hector always found plenty of time to spend with Dorothy and the five girls and to take the whole gang on epic trips from Cold Lake to Cape Breton to Jamaica – with lots of stops in between.

Hector served his church and his community as well, as a member of Paroisse Ste. Anne and Annunciation Catholic Church and as an active member of The Knights of Columbus.

Hector was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed the camaraderie of his friends and ‘brothers’ as they hunted and fished all over Alberta, and, much to Dorothy’s chagrin -  brought home all manner of wild game to clean and cook. We all fondly remember the practicing of duck and moose calls and the many stories of his hunting adventures.

Hector touched many people’s hearts and shaped many minds as he passed through this life. He nurtured the curiosity of young students and shared his good humor and laughter with all. He was ahead of his time advocating and teaching about pond life and backyard composting, while spending countless hours cultivating his vegetable garden – well known for his delicious tomatoes. Hector was also an avid card player with cribbage being one of his favorites. He taught others and played often – and won most of the time! 

We love you, we miss you, we salute you.

We will be celebrating Hector’s life with a gathering next summer in Edmonton – more details to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations honoring Hector’s life can be made to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Brenda Stafford Foundation or Ducks Unlimited Canada. 

A special thank you to the staff of Cambridge Manor in Calgary and his caregiver and adopted daughter, Judy Bauche, for the exceptional care and kindness they extended to Dad. 

May he rest in peace.