Obituary of Irene Laliberte

A recording of the service is available below

Sonja Irene Laliberte (Irene), 70 years old, of Regina, SK, passed away in her home on Thursday, February 25, 2021, with her family by her side. Irene was born in Nokomis, Saskatchewan on August 4th, 1950 to Gunder and Ethel Unseth (nee Moore).  Her early education began at Williamsville, a one-room schoolhouse in Nokomis, then to Duval, and lastly, Martin Collegiate in Regina.  As a child and teenager, Irene was known as a "tomboy".  She played baseball, volleyball and hockey.  Irene was an avid skater, apparently skating every night possible at various small town rinks. She played inter-collegiate softball at Martin and graduated in 1968.  Irene studied to become a secretary, worked in Edmonton, AB at Val Bergs before moving back to Regina to work for the Department of Education as a teaching assistant at Campbell Collegiate.  In 1974 she married Eugene Joseph Laliberte and they had three children: Tara Rae, Paul Conrad, and Nicole Dawn Laliberte. Irene lived most of her adult life in Red Deer until returning to Regina in 2014.  She enjoyed being a stay at home mom so she could be with her kids, but she also took in extra kids, helped with the businesses at the Parkland Mall and worked for a few years at Ing & McKee Insurance.  Irene enjoyed gardening, antiquing, camping, and singing.  She was a great conversationalist and could make anyone feel at home.  Later in life, her love of travel took her to international destinations including St. Lucia, Ireland, and Greece, but her favorite spot was Italy. Irene is survived by her eldest daughter, Tara (Tim) McMillan and their children Elijah, Michael, and Ella; her son, Paul (Cherish) Laliberte and their children, Ethan, Karina, Caleb, and Matthew; her youngest daughter, Nicole (Riks) Zomer and their children, Owen and Olivia. She also has three surviving siblings, Brian (Roberta) Unseth, Ingrid (Bill) Ratcliff, and Bob (Theresa) Riess.  Irene had many aunts, uncles, in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews that she loved dearly.  She was so thankful for her extended family. During the 16 months of Irene’s illness, the family was well supported by Dr. H. Bouwer and the team at Gardens Medical Clinic, a team of palliative care nurses, local friends and family and very special live-in caregivers Ingrid, Laurel, and Crystal… thank you all.  Many people have encouraged us along the way with expressions of concern, meals, visits, and flowers.  We have often been reminded of the beauty of family, and the generosity of spirit that prompts others to share the load of work and the burden of grief.  We extend our deepest thanks to each person that has demonstrated care for Mom and our family, especially to Auntie Roberta, who has been steadfast in her practical care and help. Irene’s faith, family, and friends were of utmost importance to her and she had a heart for the poor, giving faithfully to Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Regina, until her passing.  Memorial donations may be made, in her honor, to Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, 1632 Angus Street, Regina or on-line at www.shrmsk.com. Irene was a daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, wife, sister-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and dear friend to many.  Most of all, she was a follower of Jesus, whose love and comfort guided her life.  Irene was well loved and loved us well. Funeral service will be held in Regina on March 1^st, 2021 at 3:30 in the afternoon with Pastor Ray McMillan officiating.  A private burial service will take place at a later date in Govan, SK. To view the livestream of the service, or to leave a message of condolence, please visit Irene’s Tribute Page. If you would like a memorial card mailed to you in memory of Irene, please send your name and mailing address to laliberten@gmail.com