Jean Sophie Chenier

6/10/1929 – 1/28/2022

On this day, what would have been her 93rd Birthday... we celebrate a life well lived, we remember our dear Mother, with love and heartfelt sadness of this great loss in the lives of so many. Jean Sophie Chenier (née Glowacki), age 92, of Thunder Bay passed away peacefully of natural causes, with her family at her side on January 28, 2022. Born in Fort William on June 10, 1929, she was one of three children of Nicholas and Apolonia (Buczynski) Glowacki.

Jean's Mother and Father emigrated from Poland, and Jean was raised and grew up with traditional Ukrainian values - family, hard work, loyalty and good food. She credited her childhood mandolin lessons and playing in a youth orchestra for developing her appreciation of music that carried through the rest of her beautiful life. She enjoyed swimming at the Dease Pool with her brother and sister, Ukrainian dancing and events, and was an active member of the Gyrettes. Of her early years, Jean reminisced on helping her dad's business, Fort William Lumber Company, as his bookkeeper and assistant. In later years, an ardent supporter of the arts, Jean enjoyed attending Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Magnus Theatre and Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

Jean loved entertaining, with family celebrations over the holidays, and Sunday family dinners, as well as sharing time with her long time friends Rose, and 'the Betty's'. Her love of nature was a huge part of her mosaic, as was her enjoyment for pedaheh (with sour cream of course) and oh yes, chocolate. She enjoyed summers at Cloud Lake, and laughing and dancing and travelling with her husband and best friend 'Denis'. She always had time to listen and to learn and her family was always her first priority. She was a strong minded, intelligent and sophisticated woman, an independent thinker, somewhat of a Renaissance woman for her time.

On October 4, 1952, Jean married the love of her life, Denis Chenier, they were each other's best friend, and Jean loved to laugh at Denis' jokes, his sense of humour made her smile and laugh often. They loved to dance together at Chippewa Park and elsewhere. While raising their three children, Jean and Denis worked side-by-side in perfect harmony, helping each other. Denis ran his electrical business, Fort William Electric, and Jean opened the Gallery of Fine Arts in 1964, fulfilling her dream of owning and running Thunder Bay's first retail fine art and framing gallery, which was her home away from home for 31 years. Jean's contributions added greatly to the development of the appreciation for original and fine art in Thunder Bay, exposing residents to original artworks by local Canadian and internationally recognized artists like The Group of Seven, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore and Alex Kennedy.

Devoted and cherished Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Sister, Jean is survived by her son Grant Chenier (Denise) of San Francisco, her daughters Debra Chenier and Beverly Middleton (David), her Grandson Aaron Middleton, her younger brother Joseph Glowacki (Beverley), and her sweet, loyal 4-legged companion 'Joli', as well as many nieces and nephews. Jean was predeceased by Denis Chenier (loving husband of 50 years), parents Nicholas and Apolonia Glowacki, and her eldest sister Helen. Jean and Denis often loved to dance to 'What a Wonderful World' and we believe it truly was a better world with the two of them in it together and with us all. We miss you. You are fondly remembered and dearly missed, but will live on forever in the hearts of all whose lives you touched.

The family will hold a Celebration of Life at a later date, and requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation to the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Foundation Cancer Fund or Thunder Bay District Humane Society would be greatly appreciated.

Condolences may be made through
www.nwfainc.com