LOGROIX, Earl Joseph Lagroix

He was born May 8, 1935, in Martintown, Glengarry County in eastern Ontario.  Earl was the fourth of six children born to Hilda (née Murphy) and Alec Lagroix.  He was pre-deceased by all of his siblings, Onagh, Carl, Anne, Verna and Edwin.

Although he grew up on a farm and participated in all of the chores that go along with an agricultural life, he was an academic at heart.  His chosen field was education and his studies culminated in his being awarded a Doctorate in Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (University of Toronto).

Earl became a teacher in 1954 and spent his first two years teaching at a consolidated school in Britt, Ontario.  While in Britt he lived with the principal and his family, with whom he remained close for the rest of his life.

Earl next moved to Toronto and joined the Etobicoke Board of Education.  In 1961 he was selected to teach in Germany for two years with the Department of National Defense at the military base at Iserlohn.  This was a rich experience for a small-town Canadian farm boy who was able to do what he loved (teach) and indulge a passion for travel on weekends by exploring Europe in a convertible sports car.

Earl returned to teaching in Canada and earned his qualifications to become a Principal and, later, a Superintendent (Toronto Catholic and Dufferin Peel Catholic School Boards).  In 1995 he retired from education as Director of Education with the Durham Catholic School Board.

In 1966 Earl married Deanna (née Howe) and together they had four children; Kathryn, Laurie (Ginner), Melanie (Mark) and Paul (Jennifer).  He loved being a Dad and later, a doting Grandpa to his beloved grandchildren; Reid, Spencer, Jack, Evan, Addison, Mackenzie and bonus grandchild Danielle (Blair).  He was a man of integrity and instilled in his children a love of family, learning, music, travel and a good card game (particularly euchre).

In his retirement years, Earl enjoyed theatre, bridge and volunteer work with Catholic Charities, his local parish and other organizations. Retirement also afforded him the time to indulge in his love of travel.  Highlights include: family trips to France, Ireland and Italy to hear grandson Reid sing at the Vatican; a trip to the Holy Land with former colleagues and friends; India, to visit a school established by a former colleague; Vietnam, Cambodia and China to attend the wedding of a nephew; Australia to visit daughter Melanie and son-in-law Mark; New Zealand to visit with grandson Reid’s New Zealand family; an Alaskan cruise and a European river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam.  Earl also had the privilege of spending 22 winters in the Yucatan Peninsula where he enjoyed the sunshine, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, the company of friends and learning about the geography, culture and peoples of Mexico.

Earl is survived by Deanna, his brother-in-law James Howe, his sister-in-law Yvonne Lagroix, his children and their spouses, his grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and extended family members.

Earl’s family would like to thank the staff at AgeCare Glen Oaks in Oakville for the compassionate care and attention that he received during his final 16 months.

Visitation will be held on Friday, November 7 from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM and Saturday, November 8 from 10:00 – 11:00 AM.  A service will follow the visitation on Saturday at 11:00 AM with a reception to follow the service.  Visitation, service and reception will be held at Kopriva Taylor Community Funeral Home, 64 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, Ontario.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following charities:

Terry Fox Foundation Food4Kids Halton