Madeleine Cecile (Binda) Richardson

    It is with great sadness that the family of Madeleine (Binda) Richardson passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Hinton Healthcare Centre on February 24th, 2023.  She is survived by her children: Ray, Diane, Debbie, Brian and Linda; 7 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; and her younger siblings: Colette Boucher, Jean-Rene, Gerald, Therese Cantin and Francoise Downey.  Mom was predeceased by her husband George, her parents Alban and Dora (Paquette) Binda, her younger brothers Martial and Richard, and grandchildren Daryl and Damien Caldwell.

       Mom was fiercely independent and stubborn - no doubt because of her French-Canadian/Italian roots.  Mom lived a long and interesting life.  She was born in Gatineau Pointe, Quebec on April 30th, 1930.  She was raised and lived her early years in Ottawa.  She was always hardworking.  She worked as a waitress and as a stenographer until she met and fell in love with a young soldier, (our dad George), who was in the army stationed in Ottawa.  Mom married in 1952 and quickly fell into the role of a soldier's wife.  The young lady from Ottawa was now on an adventure of a lifetime as dad was posted to various bases from Torbay, Newfoundland in the east, to Calgary and Edmonton in the west, and a "few" stops in between.  It was during this time that dad re-mustered from the army to the air force.

     Way before women's liberation, mom was not shy about picking up a paint brush if she thought something needed painting, or putting up another shelf if she found an empty space and figured there should be a shelf there.  As if being a wife, mother and homemaker were not challenging enough, as soon as Linda was old enough to go to school, mom started honing her secretarial skills practicing her typing on a manual typewriter at the kitchen table.  Self-taught and determined, mom soon attained a position as a secretary in "The Hole" - NORAD's underground complex in North Bay, Ontario.  All that moving must have had an effect on mom because once dad had retired from the air force and they moved to Hinton in 1976, mom was quite content to live in the same house until she passed.  Moving anywhere else was not an option.  Looking to keep busy, mom worked at Sears; the Valley IGA bakery; and then showing her creative side, she learned and then taught ceramics in her basement for several years until she "retired".

     Foothills Memorial Chapel has been entrusted to fulfill mom's wish to be cremated.  A private family Celebration of Life may happen later this year. 

We'd be remiss if we didn't thank Drs. Weninger and Findlay who went beyond the call of duty showing nothing but the utmost care and empathy towards our mom; Pharmacists Eric and Robert (and their staff) at King Drug who were most patient and professional in answering our questions concerning prescriptions and vaccines; and all the staff of Hinton Medical Clinic and Hinton Healthcare Centre for all their help whether mom was making a scheduled or emergency visit.  Your consideration in looking after our mother meant the world to us.   We are so fortunate to have such quality health care providers in Hinton. 

In lieu of any floral tributes or cards of condolences, any donations to the Hinton SPCA would be greatly appreciated.  Mom never met a dog she didn't like or wanted to pet.

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