Antoinette Rodrigues Boucher's Obituary
Antoinette “Nettie” Boucher
September 23, 1925 – April 28, 2021
Beloved Mother, “Lala”, Friend
Matriarch of our family, these past 20 years, our Mom, Nettie Boucher, passed away peacefully on the night of April 28, 2021. She was a remarkable 95 years, seven months old and will be deeply missed by so many family & friends. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was married to our Dad, Kenneth Rockwell Boucher for 55 years, (he preceded her death in October 2001). Her pride & joy was our family.
Mom is survived by her four children: Jan Boucher Gibbs, Gail Boucher, Glen Boucher and Sheri Boucher-Flynn, their spouses (Jim Gibbs, Steve Fiala, Sharon Boucher & Michael Flynn); her four grandchildren: Brandon Boggs (wife Emily Boggs), Kara Flynn, Taylor Boucher and Sean Flynn; and her 2 great grandchildren: Isabella and Nathan Boggs.
Known for her cooking, Mom was a life-long entertainer. She most enjoyed hosting meals with family & friends, sending folks home with left-overs or a recipe! Her home was always open and inviting—She embodied the “Aloha” Spirit of Oahu, Hawaii-- the island on which she was born. She will be remembered for her welcoming hospitality, her love of a good time, eagerness to go places and experience things, as well as her charm, wit and incredible memory! We jokingly would say, “We don’t need google, we have Lala!”
Mom lived a very long time and we were grateful to have her in our lives, into our “senior years”! Consequently, many of Mom’s friends from earlier in her life, passed decades before her. But Mom’s easy-going nature and openness meant she made new friends along the way, during all phases of her life. She was an active member of Transfiguration Catholic Church in Castro Valley for several decades. The “Church Mice” became another set of Mom’s friends, especially helpful when she was widowed. She always endeared herself to her children’s friends and extended relatives and in-laws. She adopted and was adopted very easily. Mom was so fortunate to be surrounded by people who adored her! She lived in the same house for sixty years and had wonderful neighbors who treated her like family. She has left a huge hole in so many people’s lives --A true tribute to her-- that she was loved by so many.
In her own words, Mom felt she possessed a “Joi de Vivre”. It was her energy, enthusiasm for life, and engagement that continued to amaze people. Even late in life, Mom’s doctors, specialists and caregivers remarked about her strength, “spirit” and how mentally sharp she was. She had a little “spunk”, too-- with that twinkle in her eye and mischievous grin. Mom was indeed a very special lady—one who will live on in our hearts, our spirit and our cherished memories of all the many good times.
Excerpt from “I’m Free” - A farewell poem Mom liked:
“…If my parting has left a void
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss.
Ah yes, these things I too will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow.
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full, I’ve savored much.
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch...”
We’ll leave you for now, with your memories, and the hope that all the sweet and wonderful times shared with her, will bring comfort to you--all those that surrounded her with so much love. We invite you to visit her Tribute page and add any thoughts, memories or photos.
The Boucher Family
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations in her memory to one of the following organizations:
National Kidney Foundation- www.kidney.org
Ocean Conservancy- https://oceanconservancy.org
Pediatric Brain Research- Defeat DIPG/Vivian Rose Foundation-
https://chadtough.org/meet-the-kids/vivian-rose-weaver/
American Cancer Society- https://www.cancer.org
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