Géraldine Cormier, 97, of Moncton, passed away on Tuesday March 26, 2024 at the Pavillon Richard of Faubourg du Mascaret. Born in Tracadie-Sheila, she was the daughter of the late Jeffrey Saulnier and Alphonsine Boudreau.
Géraldine lived most of her adult life in Moncton. She was a renowned painter. From 1960 to 2000, she had major exhibitions in several art galleries, including the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John, the Galerie d’art de l’Université de Moncton, the Moncton City Hall Art Gallery and the Barachois Historical Church Art Gallery.
Many of her works are part of the art banks of the Université de Moncton, the City of Moncton and the Province of New Brunswick, or have been acquired by private collectors. She has won many awards and honourable mentions for her art, including first prize in a "Canada Day" poster competition in 1987.
Géraldine has also been active in promoting the arts in the Maritimes as a member and president of the Moncton Art Society, a member and provincial treasurer of CAR/FAC (Canadian Artists' Representative / Le Front des artistes canadiens) and a member of the Association des artistes acadiens du Nouveau-Brunswick.
Over the years, she has held a variety of jobs, including that of researcher and documentalist with Société Radio-Canada.
Always curious and thirsting for education, she regularly pursued personal development courses at the Université de Moncton in the fields of fine arts, written French and music. Courses in gerontology led her to become involved in the fight for seniors' rights, and to publish articles and columns on the subject in local magazines.
Géraldine is the author of two children's stories, "Puce et Puce", published by Éditions Bouton d'or Acadie in 1998, and "Manon, la tannante de petite puce", published in 2001. She is also the author of other unpublished stories, short stories and novels, but excerpts from "Souvenirs du Ruisseau-Blanc", recounting her childhood memories of Tracadie-Sheila, appear in Livain Sonier's published book "Livain raconte-moi z'en un autre" (1997).
She is survived by two children: Jocelyne (Luc Gélineau) of Gatineau, QC and Jean-Maurice (Valarie Binnie) of Newcastle, ON; three grandchildren: Matthieu, Gabrielle and Keenan; her great-granddaughter, Lauralie; one brother, Valmond (Anne-Marie); as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband, Gérard; three brothers: Delphis, Rhéal and Hector; as well as three sisters: Fernande, Noella and Sr. Annonciade.
We would especially like to thank her niece Lucille Boudreau-Savoie and Janis Mallais for their help and the loving care they gave Géraldine over the years.
The funeral service will be celebrated later this summer and will be announced. Interment will be at Our Lady of Calvary Cemetery in Dieppe. Funeral arrangements are in the professional care of Frenette Funeral and Cremation Centre, Moncton (506-858-1900).
Words of comfort may be made at www.frenettefuneralhome.com