Terry Francis Gauchier , 1949 - 2001

Terry Francis Gauchier was born in Peavine on July 30, 1949 and passed away March 17, 2001 at the age of 51 years.
He was the first born child of Edward and Gertie Gauchier.
Terry was predeceased by his son Trevor, his Mooshum Dick and Kokum Marceline Gladue, his Mooshum Emil and Kokum Jennie Gauchier and his Mooshum Gabe Gladue.
Terry spent most of his life in Peavine where he attended school. Later on he took a small business management course at AVC in Grouard. He worked at various jobs throughout Alberta and British Columbia in logging, on the pipeline and in the oilpatch. In the early 1980s, he worked as an addictions counsellor and youth counsellor.
Terry started his career in politics in 1988, when he was first elected to the Peavine Metis Settlement council. He then moved on to the Metis Settlement Appeals Tribunal in 1990, where he served for four years. He was then re-elected for another four years where he served as vice-chair. In May of 1998, he was again re-elected to Peavine council and served as chairman until his death.
He also sat on the Alberta Sports Council.
Terry will always be remembered for his love of sports, particularly fastball. He was recognized throughout the province for his excellence in the sport. Along with the numerous championship trophies, he also received many individual awards at the local, regional, provincial, national and international levels.
Terry started playing fastball in his late teens and was well known for his ability to hit homeruns. In his first year for the High Prairie Friendship Centre Braves, he hit 38 homeruns. We don't believe this has been surpassed in league play to date.
We personally know of two newspapers: Fort McMurray Today and the Red Deer Advocate, describing him as a "One-man Wrecking Crew" in the headlines in their sports sections.
After Keith and Sharon moved to Red Deer, Keith asked Terry to come and play ball with them. Terry asked if they could win. Keith said, "Sure we could, if you come play with us." So Terry, Shirley and Trevor moved to Red Deer and Terry asked Keith, "Well, how many games do we have to win to get into the finals?" Keith said, "All of them," and they did. They won 14 straight games and took the "B" Cup final that year.
Terry was considered by many to be a natural athlete and like a deer when he was on the ball diamond.
Everyone has a story they remember about Terry and ball. No eulogy could describe the many accomplishments and give his career in ball the justice that it deserves.
Terry also loved hockey. He began playing in Peavine on dugouts, then graduated to the Thunderbirds and then the High Prairie Regals of the North Peace Hockey League where he won Rookie-of-the-Year honours his first year. He also won most popular player in the 1972-73 season.
Jimmy McLean was telling me that he remembers when Terry, Rondy, Lloyd and Arnold Gauchier all came to play in High Prairie. Jimmy says he called them "The Peavine Connection" and they soon became the fans' favourites.
They excelled in the NPHL without any formal training in minor hockey. I guess all the playing on the dugouts in Peavine paid off.
Terry went on to become a star winger for six years. He was considered to be the strongest and toughest player in the NPHL. He was always a gentleman and never went looking for trouble, but if someone challenged him, they always regretted it.
Terry made second all-star team in 1976-77 and 1977-78 as right winger where he played with Tom Iannone and Jimmy McLean to name just a couple.
Terry's competitiveness and strong desire to win was brought to the ice and was recognized and respected by the opposing teams in the NPHL.
Terry's sister, Dianne, says that Terry used to box on the tips of his skates, on the ice, when he was having a "disagreement" with another player. She always wanted Terry to teach her son Ross his techniques.
Terry also enjoyed curling and golf. He started playing golf about four years ago. He was invited to play in the Peace Country Tournament of Champions the past three years.
Although Terry was competitive in nature, he took the time to make golf a family affair. He golfed often with his son Matthew to teach him, his brothers, other family members and close friends.
He also supported his sisters over the years when they were playing fastball, and his nieces and nephews in whatever they were involved in from sports to jigging.
Valerie always looked up to her big brother, Terry. When he asked her to catch his fastball pitches, she would run and get the ball and gloves. He would warn her what kind of ball he was going to throw, whether it was a riser or a drop ball. Lesson learned by Valerie was that when something hard and fast is coming at you, you feel a little safer if you close your eyes just before the ball hits your glove.
Don says he remembers he used to have to practice with Terry, who would make him stand in front of the grainery so that if he missed the ball, they wouldn't have to run after it. Every time he missed the ball it would bang against the side of the grainery like the shot of a gun. Sometimes Don would be standing there with a sore hand, hoping they had practiced enough, but Terry would say, "I'm just toughening you up."
Another great love of Terry's was the outdoors. Terry loved hunting, camping, fishing and just being in the bush. I think Terry has taken Shirley on every trail, cutline, bush road and swamp in and around Peavine, on quad and Ski-Doo.
I can remember Terry and Shirley coming in for coffee after they had been out in the bush on their quads. Shirley would be covered from head to toe with mud and I'd ask them where they had been. Terry would get that smirk on his face and say, "Oh, just for a ride."
A common site was Terry with Matthew in front of him on his quad and Lady (his dog) on the back going down the road.
Along with his competitiveness, Terry also had a great sense of humour. He loved to tease, was full of mischief and was always playing tricks on his friends and relatives. He was a great friend to have and it's not hard to understand why he has so many friends. He had great leadership qualities and he displayed these in sports, his political life and with his family.
Terry was a proud man and he fought for what he believed was right. I am told by his brothers and sisters that he has passed this belief on to them.
He also had a "Big Brother" attitude, always wanting to protect the family honour, no matter whose family it was.
He was also very giving and unselfish, always willing to help family members and friends without them even having to ask.
Terry was also very courageous in his battle with cancer. He remained optimistic and never gave up. Keith and I saw Terry almost every day and not once did I hear him ever complain. I know for me, he was and always will be an inspiration.
All of these characteristics will surely be missed and never replaced, but will always be in our memories to cherish.
Terry leaves to mourn: his loving and supportive wife, Shirley; parents Edward and Gertie Gauchier; his children Matthew, Toni, Bernadine, Lisa, Darcy, Terrylyn, Charmaine, Terrance and Shawn; his brothers John and Pauline, Keith and Sharon, Kenny, Don and Charlotte; his sisters Dianne and Ray Willier, Dollie and Archie Carifelle, Valerie and Kevin Dietz, and Beatrice Smith; father and mother-in-law Harry and Dorothy Carter; sisters-in-law Audrey and Ralston Judd, and Brenda and Jack Farley; brothers-in-law Gary, Dale and Holly, and Larry; 22 grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles.
The funeral for Terry was held on March 21 at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in High Prairie with Pastor Don Porter officiating.
Pallbearers were Harry Supernault, Rondy Gauchier, Iner Gauchier, Elmer Anderson, Harry Cunningham and Dennis Cunningham. The eulogists were Val Dietz and Sharon D. Gauchier, music was provided by Don and Sharon Cunningham.
Interment followed in St. Paul's Roman Catholic cemetery in High Prairie.
A eulogy is never enough to describe the life of a person like Terry or the loss felt by his family and friends. We could go on and on, but as someone said, "It's hard to imagine Peavine without Terry." We would like to add, "It's hard to imagine life without Terry."