Obituary of Paul Massé

Paul Albert Massé passed away peacefully on January 10, 2025, at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, AB, with his loving family by his side. Paul was born on November 9, 1931, on his parents' farm south of Ferland and west of McCord, SK. He was the fourth of six children born to Georges and Pauline Massé.

Paul attended school in Gravelbourg and in the McCord area. On July 16, 1963, he married the love of his life, Hélène Julienne Massé. Together, they built a life farming and raising their family in the Ferland district and were blessed with three children: Suzanne, Carmen, and Rick.

Paul had a diverse and industrious career. As a teenager, he worked in a marmalade factory in Ontario, where his lifelong love of marmalade began. He also took on various construction jobs in Saskatchewan and Ontario. While working on the construction of College Mathieu in Gravelbourg, SK, Paul suffered a severe fall that cracked his pelvis and broke his arm so badly that amputation was recommended. Paul refused, and with exceptional medical care, his arm was saved. Following his recovery, Paul returned to the family farm and took over its operations in the 1960s. During the off-seasons, he worked clearing cutlines with a bulldozer in northern Alberta and ran a backhoe, digging water lines, septic tanks, and graves. In 1972, Paul and his family moved into the hamlet of Ferland, where he continued farming until the late 1990s.

Paul was a man of many passions and talents. In the 1960s, he obtained his pilot’s license and owned two planes during his lifetime. He loved flying, often taking spontaneous trips to explore the valleys, visit friends, or ferry his children to and from boarding school or hockey school. He also cherished fishing trips to northern Saskatchewan and fly-in camps at Pelican Narrows, SK.

Paul had a green thumb and an affinity for gardening, growing an abundance of potatoes, beets, corn, tomatoes, and onions, which kept Hélène busy pickling and canning. He was an avid reader, with a particular fondness for Louis L’Amour novels and westerns. He also loved sports, playing baseball and hockey in his youth, and later coaching hockey and baseball in McCord and Mankota, SK. In retirement, Paul found joy in hunting and clearing gophers from fields, earning the gratitude of neighbours who requested his help. He also travelled to the United States to participate in prairie dog hunts.

Paul and Hélène spent over 30 years as snowbirds in Arizona, creating lasting memories and friendships. Paul enjoyed happy hours, hunting quail, and playing golf with Hélène. In 2022, the couple moved to a retirement community in Swift Current, SK, to be closer to family. Sadly, Hélène passed on May 23, 2023. In the fall of 2024, Paul needed a little extra care and moved to Sherwood Park, AB, to live with his daughter Carmen. Despite the challenges of losing his beloved wife and eldest daughter Suzanne in 2014, Paul remained strong and cherished the time spent with his family, especially his great-granddaughter Iona, whom he saw daily.

Paul’s resilience and determination were evident up to his final days, as he continued to walk on a treadmill just a week before his passing. While his passing brings great sadness, there is comfort in knowing that he is now reunited in heaven with his beloved wife and daughter.

Paul is survived by his daughter Carmen Emery (Mitch), son Rick Massé (Wanda), son-in-law Greg Lockert; grandchildren: Cody Lockert (Breanna), Joshua Lockert (Tori), Kieva Underhay (Dom), Emilie Dombrova (Justin), Rikki Moore, and Cole Wellbrock; great-grandchildren: Liam Lockert, Lily Lockert, Myah Lockert, Iona Underhay, and Ozzy Moore; siblings: Arthur Massé, Jeannine Yakymyk, and Monique Brisebois; in-laws: Eva Massé, Pauline Boisvert (Gilles), Jeannine Bouffard Lemire, Monique Morin, Gerald Pliez, Monique Bouvier (Fern), Aline Gauthier (Jean-Paul), and Emilienne ‘Mimi’ Morin; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Paul was predeceased by his wife Hélène Massé; daughter Suzanne Lockert; parents Georges and Pauline Massé; brothers Raymond and René Massé; parents-in-law Paul and Jeannette Morin; and in-laws Jeanne Massé, Peter Yakymyk, Marcel Brisebois, Roméo Morin, André Morin, Alfreda Morin, and Rita Lemire.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at St. Jean the Baptiste Roman Catholic Church in Ferland, SK. Interment will follow at the Ferland R.C. Cemetery. Memorial donations in Paul’s memory may be made to the Mankota and District Auxiliary for the Prairie View Health Centre, PO Box 390, Mankota, SK, S0H 2W0.