It is with a broken heart, and with a sadness beyond words,that we announce the passing of Gerry Grandbois, 20 days before his 85th birthday. Gerry left behind the other half of his whole, his wife Carol. As well, he is sorely missed by his children Jason Grandbois and partner Sonia, daughter Renee Grandbois-White and partner Colin, his grandkids Jonah, Justin, Emma and Liam, his sister Pauline Boucher and partner Paul, brother Roger Grandbois and partner Joan, nephew Pat Boucher and partner Kathy, niece Rae-Anne Barr and partner Al, niece Michaeline Grandbois and nephew Michael Grandbois along with the many other friends and family members that remember him fondly.
Carol and Gerry Grandbois were married on September 4th, 1965, celebrating their 58th anniversary on September 4th, 2024. They renewed their vows twice, the first time in Jamaica for their 25th anniversary and the second time in Hawaii for their 50th anniversary, on a trip given to them by their children Renee and Jason. While they were there, they were able to spend time with mom’s maid of honor Jeanine and her Hawaiian spouse Ben. Jeannine passed later that fall, so they felt fortunate to be able to see her.
Carol and Gerry had a wonderful adventurous life together. Sandy Beach was Carol and Gerry’s home away from home. They would park there motorhome there, walking the beach during the day and playing the card and marble game "Tock" for hours in the evenings.
Gerry had a huge personality, high standards, called his best guy friends A- - h - - -, and if he didn’t, they thought….doesn’t he like me anymore? To Gerry, that was a term of endearment, and they knew that too because that’s who he was.
Gerry was a caring husband, father and grandfather. Renee always said, the grandkids love Grandpa so much because he is a big noisy gadget. His 4 grandchildren, Liam, Emma, Jonah and Justin, lit up a room in his life, as he did for them. With his grandsons, it was always "Hey old Buddy!". Jonah mentioned how much that meant to him. Emma, his granddaughter would call and ask, is the old man there? Gerry would pick up the phone, and say, is this the Brat? They would Kibbutz, and there was a lot of laughter. He was so proud of Liam, Justin, Jonah and Emma’s milestones and accomplishments, and would call to let them know that.
When in Halifax the guys all went to play Pinball, and Pool, a longtime family tradition with Gerry, Liam, Jonah, Justin, Jason and sometimes Colin. Gerry passed on his personal pool cue to Jason when he turned 50, the cue that Carol had given him on his 50th Birthday. In recent years, Gerry taught Jason how to play crib, a game his father taught him. Jason caught on right away, and it was fun to see the 2 of them, at the end of table, playing Crib, while the rest of the family played a game of Tock at the other end of the table.
Gerry called his daughter Renee "Chickee". They shared a sense of adventure and love of nature and wildlife. Carol and Gerry didn’t own dogs, but Gerry loved Renee’s dogs and treated them like extra grandkids, spoiling them with attention and treats. I imagine Bella the spaniel is with him now, running alongside him, aroo’ing and looking for love.
Gerry was a big kid at heart, with infectious energy and a ready smile. Gerry loved to travel and explore, wandering back roads on his Honda Goldwing, until he sold it at the age of 81. Gerry loved spending time with family and having fun with the kids. His nephew Pat has fond memories of "Uncle Gunner’s" 1967 Camaro convertible, giggling and laughing as he bounced on the seat, Gerry finding fun roads to take. The receipt of sale for this car Gerry kept, selling the car for $150 in 1974. The nickname "Gunner" had followed Gerry from when he was a child. It was a character from an Abbot and Costello movie, who had very poor eyesight. Gerry sat at the back of the class and refused to wear his glasses. He was smart as a whip but a scholar he was not!
Gerry joined the Kinsmen club in 1964 and was a member for 50 years, at more than 8 clubs across Canada. He worked on many community service projects and enjoyed serving the community and the fellowship that the Kinsmen brought. Gerry served on various positions on the executive and in 1984 was awarded the prestigious Kinsmen life member award for his long-term volunteerism with the club. Jason has followed in Gerry's footsteps, being a Kinsmen member to this day.
Gerry enjoyed a long career with the bank. He was transferred across Canada, offering an opportunity for the family to experience many provinces, from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia. He bought a succession of trailers, camping and exploring with the family at every opportunity, across Canada and into the U.S The last bank position he held was as branch manager in Edmonston. He worked hard, was successful and well-liked by his staff and clients alike.
Retirement didn’t sit well with Gerry. A one-year commitment to work at Lounsbury’s turned into several years of camaraderie and friendship. When he finally did decide to leave at the age of 79, he was told that if morale dropped, he was coming back to work!
Gerry moved fast and didn’t have a lot of patience for those who didn’t. Everybody knows that Gerry always said, "I hate old people." He enjoyed getting groceries. He’d come home, and say I hate old people, they always leave their cart in the middle of the aisle, so I just bump the cart and keep going, he said. Carol would say, "but Gerry, you can’t do that". "Yes, I can" he said, "and I do". Then Carol would say, "well how old are you, Gerry?". He was in his 80’s, but he never considered himself an old person. Then he’d say, "don’t ever put me in an old age home". Carol would say "well Gerry, if I have to, what do you want me to do?". He’d say, "I just want to rent a room over a pub, and I’ll go downstairs, and have all my meals there, and meet my friends there". He did enjoy a good cold beer with friends and family.
Gerry could whistle like a bird, and often whistled to the birds. One special chickadee arrived in the springtime and roosted under the eaves of the porch. Gerry called him Joey. Joey arrived this Spring and called for Gerry during his final days on earth.
Carol and Gerry’s terms of endearment for each other, were always, for dad "I love you Mon beau grand blond" and for mom "I love you ma belle Carole". The night before he died, Gerry’s last words to Carol were "I love you, ma belle Carole".
It is so special for Carol to be able to hold that memory close to her heart. She will cherish it forever.
Gerry’s celebration of life is on June 1st at Cobb’s funeral home in Riverview, NB. Service is at 1:00 with reception to follow with refreshments.
The service will be live streamed and also available for viewing afterwards at www.cobbsfuneralhome.ca. Condolences may also be left at the online obituary at the same address. If so desired, donations in Gerry's name can be made to the Humanity Project.
To view the service please click here