The family of Ida Paquette announces with deep sorrow her passing. Ida passed away peacefully with family by her side on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at University Hospital in London, Ontario. She is predeceased by her father, Samuel Carpenter, her mother Jessie Carpenter, brothers Stanley (Joe) Carpenter and Gordon Carpenter, and sister Emily Mitchell.
Ida will be deeply missed by her children, Rachael Paquette, Gordon Paquette, Timothy Paquette, Paul Paquette, and her husband, Jerry Paquette, her grandchildren, Theo, Jacob, Xavier, Zachary, Andrew, and Yolanda.
Ida was born on September 20, 1947 in Slate Falls, Ontario. She was raised and worked in a very traditional lifestyle helping her parents with trapping, hunting, and fishing and other demanding duties of a young Ojibwe woman of her time. Ida attended a practical learning program in Quetico and pursued study with Noki’kwe in London.
On September 15, 1971 Ida married the love of her life, Jerry Paquette. She dedicated her life to raising her children and supporting her husband. Jerry and Ida lived together at Slate Falls until they moved to Thunder Bay in 1972 so Jerry could complete a degree in education at Lakehead University. After Jerry completed his B.Ed., Ida and Jerry moved back to Sioux Lookout where Jerry taught at Queen Elizabeth District High School. The family then moved to Round Lake where Jerry served as principal during the 1974-75 school year. The family next moved back to Sioux Lookout where Jerry taught at Queen Elizabeth during the 1975-76 school year. In 1976 the Paquette family moved back to Slate Falls where Jerry worked as principal and teacher until 1980. In 1980 the family moved back to Thunder Bay where Jerry worked with the regional office of the Ministry of Education. In 1984 the family moved to Mississauga so Jerry could complete a Ph.D. in educational administration at the University of Toronto which he did in 1986. The family finally settled in London, Ontario where Jerry worked as a professor until retirement in 2013. Since then Jerry and Ida continued to live in London.
All this while Ida’s love, strength, humour, patience, tolerance, and acceptance of the work dad was doing made it possible for him to do what he did to support financially the family. No matter how difficult things were at home and in supporting Jerry’s career changes and moves, Ida soldiered bravely on in her love and support roles.
From approximately 2009 to 2011 Ida served as Anishinaabe Language Elder in the Indigenous Studies program at the University of Western Ontario in London until she became too ill to continue in that role. Her son Gordon teaches Ojibwe for the Chippewa on the Thames First Nation and for the University of Toronto. Over the last several years Ida has supported Gordon and offered unwavering guidance to him in developing competency and confidence in Ojibwe. Her daughter Rachael practices law in Thunder Bay. Timothy and Paul reside in London, Ontario.
The family expresses special gratitude to her family physician, Dr. Soofia Kazi and to the doctors and medical staff at University Hospital who worked competently and caringly with Ida in her final hours, in particular Dr. Emily Decherne and Dr. Spencer Ler.
If friends so desire, donations may be made to the Canadian Lung Association through the Sioux Lookout Funeral Home, 128 Front St, Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B9
