Obituary of Raymond Sarrazin

Raymond Sarrazin Feb 24, 1937 - Aug 25, 2015 Raymond was born on February 24, 1937 in Spiritwood, Saskatchewan and passed away suddenly on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 near Crudwell, Saskatchewan. Although he never learned to read or write, he taught us all so much about living. His niece’s first memory of him was when he taught her how to tie my shoes and later on when she had kids, he taught them how to tackle the shoe lace dilemma as well. His undying patience was one of his most endearing traits. He would sit there for, what seemed like hours, and help us to repeat the pattern until we got it right. He enjoyed playing simple games with us and when the adults tired of having us around, he could always entice us to join him in playing fish or pinocle. We’d play pinocle until fingers hurt so bad they could hardly touch the nail bed, but the next night they were eager to play again. His hunger for fun and fellowship never ceased as he got older either. When he moved to Lloydminster to spend the winters with his sister, they would go to the nursing home and play cards with a few of the residents there 3 times a week and if you showed up at the house, he would surely pull out his dice. Raymond loved people and could make friends wherever he went. No one could escape his enthusiastic greeting or his charming smile. Everything interested him and nothing bored him. He wouldn’t let life pass him by; he experienced everything, at least once, and lived every day like it was a gift. Raymond loved farming and loved having animals around. He dabbled in cows, pigs, and chickens over the years, then as he got older, he turned his love of the soil to gardening. He was so proud of his garden every year. Jack, always called him the “prince of pomme de terre” and he would just laugh with that hearty full belly laugh that he had. Each year the potato patch got larger, the tomato rows got longer and eventually we had to tell him to start sharing his harvest with someone other than family, they didn’t need threshing crew rations anymore. He was so proud of the potato planter and the potato picker that he rigged up to pull behind his little tractor and considered himself quite the genius for the time-saving features he had created. Now that planting and harvesting got quicker, it allowed him to have time to go for coffee every day. After all there might be a joke or two that he’d have to share. Raymond’s most admirable quality was one that gave him the greatest joy but also earned him the most criticism. He enjoyed helping others and in doing so, while he was admired by the people he helped, he was also criticized by those who would judge him for not getting his own work done. If he saw someone in need of help or if he was asked to help out, he gave it his all. No task was too big that an extra pair of hands couldn’t help lessen the load. This also included helping his neighbor, Maurice, although I think Maurice did his share of also helping Raymond. And more often than not, you’d find him with Kurt or Nancy whether they needed his help or he needed theirs, it was a friendship built on mutual respect. Helping others also included helping to cheer them up or give them someone to talk to. He didn’t see disability as something to be hidden or not talked about, maybe because he had lived with his own disability but he never shied away from going to visit someone who was sick or hospitalized or even just housebound. And he worried about these individuals. No matter what his circumstance, he considered them to be in worse shape than he was in. As many of you know, Raymond was diagnosed with lymphoma last fall and as his family watched him suffer through the countless spinal taps, all he’d ever say was “that one kinda hurt” knowing that he’d have to endure it again in 2 weeks. True to his nature, each time he went to Chemo, the nurses were waiting for his joke and always enjoyed his upbeat, friendly attitude. His greatest pride was ringing the bell at the end of his cancer treatments and of course he had to have his picture taken as a reminder. His 3 month check-up also presented some good news when his doctor told him that he had beaten cancer. His reply was “good now I can go plant my potatoes” and the doctor laughed. Family meant a lot to Raymond so in 1995 he married Erica and came to live in the town of Spiritwood. Soon afterwards however, they realized that after 58 years of being single, they couldn’t live together, so they separated but remained friends. After that, he became very active in the lives of our children and their children. He never missed an important event from birthdays to dance recitals. And he never missed an opportunity to remind you when it was his birthday either. He really enjoyed fishing and came up to the lake to join us every chance he got. He loved the fact that he had his own fishing seat at the back of the pontoon boat. He thought it was because he caught the biggest fish but really it was because he was a little wild at casting once he got his new open-face rod and reel. I hope he catches the big ones where he is now. In closing I would like to read an email that I received from Kurt & Nancy Fast. I think she really captured the true essence of Raymond in her short eulogy. The day of the accident, he had asked us to come along and although we had done so in the past, we were sorry that we felt we couldn’t go that day, due only to my limited available time, with going back to work in a few days. During this time of such grief and disbelief, I want to thank his family in the most significant way possible, which is to honor his memory with a bigger than life itself recollection of the real genuine person he was. I want to just tell you how extremely much we depended on his never wavering friendship and beyond all expectations, not just a friend but a mentor. Raymond was always there during some of the most difficult times in Kurt’s and my life. No doubt, no questions, he was family and friend to Kurt and I even to the point of going beyond any call of duty. Raymond responded in so many ways and times to each and everything as soon as he became aware of our needs, in a helping, respectful, and gentlemanly way without question or criticism. Everyone needs a friend like Raymond, we shared with his family and friends. Prayer Service was held on Tuesday, September 1st, 2015 at 7:00pm and the Mass of Christian Burial was held Wednesday, September 2nd, 2015 at 11:00am both services were held from the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Spiritwood, SK Family and friends wishing to send private online condolences are welcome to visit www.beaulacfuneralhome.com Memorial donations can be directed to the Spiritwood Home Care, or to a charity of your choice. Raymond's family has entrusted arrangements to Lori Saam of Beau "Lac" Funeral Home, Spiritwood, 306.883.3500