Orphaned boys remember parents killed in collision

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This article was published 03/12/2010 (5094 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

School-age children stood alongside their parents at a jam-packed memorial service for Marcel and Brenda Dubois Saturday morning.

The couple, who died in a vehicle collision two weeks ago while driving four of their sons home from a taekwondo tournament in Saskatchewan, were remembered as proud parents who were extremely devoted to their five boys.

“They were terrific parents,” son Jordan Dubois said after the service, which was held at the Victoria Inn. “I hope everybody has parents as good as them.”

Jordan, the eldest of five boys at 19 years old, was in Winnipeg at the time of the collision.

He was joined at the funeral by three of his brothers, Michael, Matthew and Dustin, who are all recovering from a variety of injuries. Brother Jarret remains in a Winnipeg hospital in critical condition. The family said doctors have told them he’ll be paralyzed from the waist down.

Jordan said he expected quite a few people to come to the funeral but was surprised to see 800 people in attendance.

“My mom and dad were fairly popular in the community. I didn’t expect this many people. It’s pretty amazing,” he said.

Jordan said a lifetime of looking after his little brothers has prepared him well to be their main caregiver.

“It’s not going to be any different. Growing up with them I was always taking care of them. There will be a few more things on the ‘to do’ list,” he said.

Lee-Ann Matthews, Brenda’s sister, recalled their last “girls’ weekend” with friends last June at Birds Hill Park and said she’ll miss the annual camping trip. She said it’s hard for her to think about Brenda or Marcel without the other because they had been a couple since she was a little girl.

“I’ve had my cries. A lot of it has been at home, alone. I’m trying to be strong for the boys,” she said. “Our family is so thankful for all of the support. It’s been breathtaking.”

Matthews said the five boys are “very strong” and are coping as well as could be hoped.

“Because we’ve had so many people around, they haven’t had a chance to realize what’s going on. Once everything calms down, they’ll have time to sit down and grieve for their parents,” she said.

As mourners moved past a joint urn, flowers and photographs at the front of the room on their way to the reception, John Lennon’s “Imagine” and “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses, one of Marcel’s favourite bands, played in the background. Matthews said the entire service was videotaped so that Jarret could watch it later.

A digital photo montage projected on a pair of screens showed Brenda and Marcel Dubois in Hallowe’en costumes, with Santa Claus, fishing, laughing and clowning around. Most of all, it showed seven members of a happy family.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca