Edouard Jules Marie Joseph Boulanger

Edouard Jules Marie Joseph Boulanger, was born on July 28th, 1937 in Antler, Saskatchewan to Amedee and Justine Boulanger. The family moved to Grande Clairiere, Manitoba when he was young and this was where he grew up.

Whether you called him Ed, your husband, brother, son, Grandpa, Dad, Papa or even Daddy, the guy we are remembering today was well, - just the best.  

His passion was playing hardball with a team of his hometown pals, when he was only 16. Fast Eddy, was the full-time catcher for many years and loved it. He didn’t always agree with the umpires, yet he found out that they were always right. It was at a ball tournament in 1958, where he would meet the love of his life Lynn Doyle, who couldn’t get enough of his smile. They would spend the next 59 years together.
At 18, he went to work on the Dew Line in northern Manitoba where he made enough money to purchase his first vehicle. He then worked in construction, building houses until 1962. It was then that he moved to Dawson Creek, BC and started working with CN Telecommunications, which took him to the Yukon for 11 years. This is where he continued his love of sport, by playing Fastball.

He was captain of the Yukon team at the Canadian summer games in Edmonton and Halifax in the late 60’s. As the family grew, Ed started to focus on giving back to sport, and the community, by being actively involved in the X-Country Ski program in Whitehorse, as well as starting his coaching career in minor hockey for over 20 years, (mainly because he was down at the rink with his 3 sons)J. Many of the players always wanted to be coached by Ed because of his sense of fair play and kindness, although his boys didn’t always see it that way J. 

In 1974, the big move south took the family back to BC landing in the boom town of Fort St. John, switching his career to BC Tel, working outside and supporting all the rural regions of the Peace country.

His old carpentry skills came in handy as he built a home on an acreage just outside the city, where he finally found his true passion, farming.  He loved to work the land with his tractor and other equipment.

Haying time was sort of different though. It was a one man show as his sons always seemed to be busy, but this grandson will always admire the precision with which he’d stack those round bails at season’s end. Grandpa enjoyed some gardening, especially shucking peas.

What he enjoyed most of all was the visits from his Grandchildren to keep him company while he introduced them to his “world“ and especially his pet cows who all had their own special names.  That “world“ was a paradise to us all.  

He was very proud of his 3 boys:

• Francis and his wife Angela, and children Tea, Todd, Drew and Drew’s fiancé Pauline,
• Michel and his wife Jill, and children, Mikayla and Justin,
• And Bernard, with his wife Gretchen, and children Haley, Elise, Braydon, and Braydon’s wife Kerry, as well as one special person Grandpa referred to as “Bobi”, his Great grandson Grayson. 

Shortly after finding out about his passing, I went to my basement where I keep a picture of him on his beloved John Deere, mowing his lawn in an old baseball hat.  I started to smile when I saw the picture; remembering the world’s best fishing guide, 4-wheeler mechanic, ice cream caddy, and role model you could ever dream up. 

If any of you ever get sad and miss him, close your eyes, and just image how good the lawn is now going to look up in heaven, when we all get to see him again.

I know that it will be spectacular.

We will all remember the goodness of life and legacy he leaves behind.  His was a long and simple life: never complex and always led with good, honest intentions. He had an exceptionally strong work ethic and drive that he was very modest about.

Ed’s final message and wishes to all would be:

“Be kind. Live life thinking beyond yourself, engaging with a ‘we’ attitude towards all as only true love will make you happy.”

Lives Cherished and Celebrated