Mme Georgette

Mme Georgette (centre, in the gold cardigan) with her Grade 3 class at Pine Street School, circa Fall 1989 – Winter 1990. Photographed by James Allen for Ontario Hydro. Lower left is Matt Canning

Georgette Virginia Bray (née Cyr; 1937 – 8 September 2007), known to her students as Mme Georgette, was a French Immersion teacher at Pine Street School in Thunder Bay, Ontario. According to her obituary she "was a pioneer of the French Immersion Programme during her teaching years." [1]

She was by all accounts absolutely beloved by her students, whom she referred to as her "petits chouchous". She was one of the most talented and respected teachers of her era.

Early life

She was born Georgette Virginia Cyr to Florence Levis (1910 - 1979) and Armand Cyr (1899 - 1992). [2]. Armand was born in Saint-Alphonse, Quebec, a community of 700 at the tip of the St. Lawrence river (same population 2026 as it was in 1899).

Cyr is one of the oldest Norman French names and comes from the borders of Normandy and Brittany. [3]

With her husband Donald Melville Bray (1936 - 2019) she had two sons:

• Sandy Bray (died 1988)
• Andrew Bray (married Jane Anne); children:
  • Steven Bray of Toronto
  • Nicole Bray of Guelph
  • Samantha Bray of Simcoe (as of 2018)

Teaching

At Pine Street School she taught both Senior Kindergarten and Grade 3. The French Immersion Class of 1996 had her as their main teacher in Senior Kindergarten (1987–88) and again in Grade 3 (1990–91). Unlike other teachers, she had a piano in her classroom.

1989 Ontario Hydro Photoshoot

Allyson Kamo (later Allyson Chapman), one of Mme Georgette's students, with an illuminated globe in the Pine Street School library, circa 1989.

Ontario Hydro selected Mme Georgette's Grade 3 class to be featured on the interstitial pages of its 1989 Annual Report. Ontario Hydro brought in James Allen (1944–2019) [4], a well-known Toronto commercial photographer (who also worked out of New York and Paris), to do the shoot, and the report includes several other charming photographs of the children. [3]

Later life

Bray later lived in the Guelph, Ontario area. She died on 8 September 2007 at Guelph General Hospital, aged 70, after a short illness. She was the same as her mother was when she died.

Her widowed husband Donald later moved to Simcoe as of 2018 [5] and died on 13 May 2019, in his 83rd year, at the Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home in Simcoe, Ontario. [6]

Sources

[1] Georgette Bray obituary, The Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay), September 2007.

Georgette Virginia (nee Cyr) - After a short battle with illness, Georgette Bray passed away peacefully at the Guelph General Hospital attended by her loving husband and son, on Saturday, September 8, 2007. She was 70 years of age, loving wife to Donald Bray; loving and caring mother to her son Andrew and his wife Jane Anne of Simcoe, Ontario; loving "Grandma" to Steven, Nicole and Samantha. Survived by her siblings Theresa (Eugene Cote), Robert Cyr (Annette), Margaret (Dave Pachota), Edith (Rolly Landry), Roger Cyr (Denise) and Patrick Cyr (Marie), as well as many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her son Sandy (1988), brother Norman (1976) and mother and father Florence and Armand. Georgette was a pioneer of the French Immersion Programme during her teaching years. Cremation has taken place. A private family gathering will be held Saturday, September 15, 2007. At the family's request, memorial contributions to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, 204-21 Surrey St. W. , Guelph N1H 3R3 would be appreciated in lieu of flowers. Arrangements entrusted to WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 206 Norfolk St. , Guelph (www.wallcustance.com or 519-822-0051)."

[2] Donald Bray obituary, Simcoe Reformer, May 2019.

[3] The full report Ontario Hydro 1989 annual report is available through the McGill University digital library [7].