Obituary for Roland Laframboise
Laframboise, Roland Edward Joseph
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Roland Laframboise, 71. After a lengthy illness, he died peacefully at home on March 17, 2022, with his wife, Lucy, at his side.
Rolly was born in Nipigon on January 29, 1951, on the coldest night of the year. He went to St. Edward's School in Nipigon, then Nip-Rock High in Red Rock. After high school he enrolled in business administration at Lakehead University but really majored in duplicate bridge. He went on to get a degree in Honours Business Commerce, which led to his first job as assistant manager of the Thunder Bay Symphony. There he not only learned to love classical music but also found out what "the show must go on" really meant. After that, he went to work with the wonderful staff at Sears as a department manager.
He found his calling at Sun Life Insurance before co-founding NorMaxx Financial Group. There he excelled in his role as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Rolly eventually added the designation of Certified Executor Advisor to his list of qualifications. Helping his clients plan for their future by advising on investing, income taxes, retirement, or estate planning was a responsibility he took very seriously. He bemoaned the fact that financial literacy was not a mandatory part of school curriculum as education was key in all his financial advice. He considered his clients his friends, taking satisfaction when they did well. His door was always open for them.
Rolly first met Lucy when she moved to Nipigon from Beardmore. They were high school physics lab partners but they didn't start dating until the day after the men landed on the moon. They've been together ever since.
Besides his family, the other passion in his life was duplicate bridge. In his twenties he attended his first Summer National Bridge Tournament in Toronto, where he and his partner Dave McLennan placed first in an international field of 200 tables. It's the first and only time bridge players from Thunder Bay won the open pairs event. He was hooked. He went on to play at tournaments all over North America, becoming a Life Master and accruing over 7,500 points. When the pandemic hit, he pivoted to playing bridge online and maintained connections with his lifelong friends.
Playing card and board games has always been an essential part of Laframboise family get-togethers. Rolly and his sons, Brian and David, loved nothing more than defeating each other, then talking about the winning strategy. His best-ever grandson, Max, is also on his way to becoming a games enthusiast, following in Gramps's footsteps. With his sons, and with everyone who knew him, Rolly shared his sense of humour, rapidfire puns, and generous spirit. His friends respected that Rolly never had a bad word to say about anyone.
Rolly spent many summers at his camp at Barnum Lake, savouring time with family and friends, reading, solving jigsaw puzzles, and boating. Rolly and Lucy also enjoyed attending the Blues Festival, Magnus Theatre, and North of Superior Film Association events. An avid sports fan, Rolly cheered for the Maple Leafs, the Blue Jays, and his favourite Formula 1 drivers. Locally he liked five-pin bowling and chipping away at his golf game as a member of the Fort William Country Club. In the winter he held season tickets for the LU Thunderwolves hockey team and rarely missed a game. Every year, Rolly sponsored a team in the Hope Classic curling tournament in tribute to Linda Buchan, who was his respected colleague at Sun Life.
Rolly is survived by Lucy, his wife of 47 years; two sons, David and Brian; daughter-in-law, Erin; and grandson, Max. Also left to mourn are his mother, Theresa; siblings Denise, Alan, and Paul; brothers-in-law Phil Lein and Lawrence Vienneau; nephews Alex and Philip; and numerous cousins. Rolly was predeceased by his father, Roland; daughter, Karen; and several aunts and uncles.
In keeping with Rolly's wishes, he has been cremated. The family of Roland Laframboise invites you to join them for a Celebration of Life Thursday July 21st 11am – 2 pm Fort William Country Club.
As it is upstairs be aware that this is not an accessible venue. Due to increasing Covid cases we respectfully ask that all attendees wear a mask when not eating.
At this time the family would like to thank Dr. Sandoval and express our deepest gratitude to Home Care Coordinator Linda Rousseau; the palliative care team of Aparna Nagar, NP, and nurses Erika, Caroline, Elizabeth, Chris, and Madison; occupational therapist Sue; and the team at Medigas, especially Ryan and Rob. We are truly lucky to have such a great team here in Thunder Bay. We couldn't have looked after Rolly at home without them.
In lieu of flowers, Rolly requested that donations be sent to
Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
47 Squires Bakers Lane
Markham, ON
L3P 3G8
cpff.ca
or
the Thunder Bay District Humane Society
tbdhs.ca
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Roland Laframboise, 71. After a lengthy illness, he died peacefully at home on March 17, 2022, with his wife, Lucy, at his side.
Rolly was born in Nipigon on January 29, 1951, on the coldest night of the year. He went to St. Edward's School in Nipigon, then Nip-Rock High in Red Rock. After high school he enrolled in business administration at Lakehead University but really majored in duplicate bridge. He went on to get a degree in Honours Business Commerce, which led to his first job as assistant manager of the Thunder Bay Symphony. There he not only learned to love classical music but also found out what "the show must go on" really meant. After that, he went to work with the wonderful staff at Sears as a department manager.
He found his calling at Sun Life Insurance before co-founding NorMaxx Financial Group. There he excelled in his role as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Rolly eventually added the designation of Certified Executor Advisor to his list of qualifications. Helping his clients plan for their future by advising on investing, income taxes, retirement, or estate planning was a responsibility he took very seriously. He bemoaned the fact that financial literacy was not a mandatory part of school curriculum as education was key in all his financial advice. He considered his clients his friends, taking satisfaction when they did well. His door was always open for them.
Rolly first met Lucy when she moved to Nipigon from Beardmore. They were high school physics lab partners but they didn't start dating until the day after the men landed on the moon. They've been together ever since.
Besides his family, the other passion in his life was duplicate bridge. In his twenties he attended his first Summer National Bridge Tournament in Toronto, where he and his partner Dave McLennan placed first in an international field of 200 tables. It's the first and only time bridge players from Thunder Bay won the open pairs event. He was hooked. He went on to play at tournaments all over North America, becoming a Life Master and accruing over 7,500 points. When the pandemic hit, he pivoted to playing bridge online and maintained connections with his lifelong friends.
Playing card and board games has always been an essential part of Laframboise family get-togethers. Rolly and his sons, Brian and David, loved nothing more than defeating each other, then talking about the winning strategy. His best-ever grandson, Max, is also on his way to becoming a games enthusiast, following in Gramps's footsteps. With his sons, and with everyone who knew him, Rolly shared his sense of humour, rapidfire puns, and generous spirit. His friends respected that Rolly never had a bad word to say about anyone.
Rolly spent many summers at his camp at Barnum Lake, savouring time with family and friends, reading, solving jigsaw puzzles, and boating. Rolly and Lucy also enjoyed attending the Blues Festival, Magnus Theatre, and North of Superior Film Association events. An avid sports fan, Rolly cheered for the Maple Leafs, the Blue Jays, and his favourite Formula 1 drivers. Locally he liked five-pin bowling and chipping away at his golf game as a member of the Fort William Country Club. In the winter he held season tickets for the LU Thunderwolves hockey team and rarely missed a game. Every year, Rolly sponsored a team in the Hope Classic curling tournament in tribute to Linda Buchan, who was his respected colleague at Sun Life.
Rolly is survived by Lucy, his wife of 47 years; two sons, David and Brian; daughter-in-law, Erin; and grandson, Max. Also left to mourn are his mother, Theresa; siblings Denise, Alan, and Paul; brothers-in-law Phil Lein and Lawrence Vienneau; nephews Alex and Philip; and numerous cousins. Rolly was predeceased by his father, Roland; daughter, Karen; and several aunts and uncles.
In keeping with Rolly's wishes, he has been cremated. The family of Roland Laframboise invites you to join them for a Celebration of Life Thursday July 21st 11am – 2 pm Fort William Country Club.
As it is upstairs be aware that this is not an accessible venue. Due to increasing Covid cases we respectfully ask that all attendees wear a mask when not eating.
At this time the family would like to thank Dr. Sandoval and express our deepest gratitude to Home Care Coordinator Linda Rousseau; the palliative care team of Aparna Nagar, NP, and nurses Erika, Caroline, Elizabeth, Chris, and Madison; occupational therapist Sue; and the team at Medigas, especially Ryan and Rob. We are truly lucky to have such a great team here in Thunder Bay. We couldn't have looked after Rolly at home without them.
In lieu of flowers, Rolly requested that donations be sent to
Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
47 Squires Bakers Lane
Markham, ON
L3P 3G8
cpff.ca
or
the Thunder Bay District Humane Society
tbdhs.ca