The children and relatives of the great Jean Lapointe took advantage of Saturday’s final tribute to dive back into the most touching and intimate moments experienced with the one who managed to overcome his demons.
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By appearing at the microphone in front of the hundreds of people present in the enclosure of the Saint-Viateur church, Jean-Marie Lapointe had a light heart.
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His son Jean-Marie Lapointe
Insisting on the “Importance of making peace”, he says he thoroughly enjoyed the last moments alongside his father, despite his health problems.
“We showed our love in the eyes […], in small gestures, even in silences, he said. We had nothing to settle. Everything had been said. »
“This may be our last year. This may be our last defeat for the Canadiens, this may be our last Christmas supper,” said Jean-Marie Lapointe to himself.
A remarkable return
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His daughter Marie-Josée Lapointe
Marie-Josée, who was born from another union of Jean Lapointe, also echoed a “complicated” childhood, in particular due to the absence of her father.
Over time, they have rebuilt the bridges.
Photo Martin Alarie
His daughter Catherine Lapointe, one of the artist’s seven children
“My dad’s greatest legacy to Danielle, Michelle and me is that he came back. A gesture that paved the way for his recovery and ours too, ”she summed up.
This made it possible to accumulate precious memories with the other children of his father.
Photo Agence QMI, Mario Beauregard
His spouse Mercedes
If only “moments spent at the table where Mercedes [la conjointe de Jean Lapointe] prepared delicious meals of raclette and smoked salmon for us”, quotes the woman who says she has been abstinent for five years.
deep values
Photo Martin Alarie
The ashes of Jean Lapointe were transported, under the falling snow, in a wooden urn, on the sidelines of the ceremony.
Through his ups and downs, Jean Lapointe has always insisted on being authentic and focusing on what really matters, according to his son.
For example, the actor had a gambler side and had a flair for collecting works of art, recalls Jean-Marie Lapointe.
When the time came to sell one that had special value in the eyes of his son, Mr. Lapointe had implored him to detach himself from material possessions.
“Appreciate what you have here now. While we have it, ”he had hammered.
Jean-Marie Lapointe also praised the ease with which the former senator displayed his emotions, especially in his last years of life.
He also referred to a specific moment, when he was 10 or 12 years old, when his father burst into tears on stage during a grand premiere at Place des arts.
“You might be beautiful by being vulnerable, he retained of the one who died at 86 years old. Dad, thank you for teaching me all this. There is no legacy that backs that up,” concluded Jean-Marie Lapointe.
-With Jessica Potsou, QMI Agency