Obituary of Michael Ladouceur

OBITUARYMichael Steven LadouceurBorn December 23, 1956 in Ottawa, Ontario. Mike was diagnosed with cancer in March 2020 and did all he could but would ultimately succumb to complications and died on May 15, 2020 at Lakeridge Ajax Hospital, with his loving wife Marina Osorno at his side. He was 63 years old. Michael was preceded by his mother Barbara Anne Thurston and father Joseph Rene Alfred Ladouceur, and is also survived by his sister Debbie Brabin & her husband Gary, along with niece Jennifer and nephew Christopher, several aunts and uncles, as well as a whole array of friends. He was the grandson of Earl and Annie Thurston and Edward and Aline Ladouceur. Mike grew up in Eganville and the Scarborough areas and had a close knit group of high school friends at David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, and at Highbrook, where he attended grade 7 and 8. He studied & became a Draftsman for 20 years. In 1980-1992 worked as Electro-Mechanical Research and Design Technologist (Consultant), provided system design, drafting and AutoCAD services for various projects for SPAR Aerospace Ltd., NASA Robotic CanadARM II, Teledyne Optech, Airborne Lidar Survey System, Atlantis Aerospace Corporation, MQ1 Predator Drone Control System, Amdahl Communications Ltd., Telephony and Network Systems, Mircom, Fire Safety Systems and Johnson Controls Ltd., Fire Safety Systems. He then studied computer systems (MCSE) and held various roles as business analyst, project manager and senior level IT support. He also worked in various capacities with Ontario ministries including the Ministries of Transportation, Labour, and Finance. He also worked with Elections Ontario, Providence Healthcare Hospital and Long-Term Care, Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) in Mississauga, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC Mellon), Bank of Montreal, Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada, and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. He met his wife Marina when she answered his online ad he posted in 1999, and were married for almost 20 years. They moved into their house in Pickering in 2002 and opened it up to friends for celebrations, get-togethers, or just for people to come over and watch one of the many movies Mike amassed over the years. Mike was a very handy person who liked to do his own home renovation projects and work on his 1984 Fiero. He was very particular about the way he planned the work, purchased tools and materials, and got his (and her) hands dirty, but with his analytical mind this was his way of having fun. He once said that it gave him a sense of accomplishment. Mike was a fan of SCI-FI old and new, collected models and toys from “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”, “Battlestar Galactica”, “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”, loved music from Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin, and of course, his 2015 Cadillac ATS. He loved to drive, go for adventures in different parts of the province, went camping, nature walks, and spending a few days at “The Sands” on Golden Lake each summer - always with Marina at his side. We would like to thank all of the doctors and nurses who helped Mike as well as all of the other hospital staff who got to meet him. Your work with him during these times of COVID-19 pandemic would be beyond extraordinary.Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are announcing that the funeral for Michael Ladouceur will take place on Saturday, 23rd of May 2020, starting at 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. with the service at 8:00 a.m. as a live stream from the funeral home.Link:http://distantlink.com/dlm3.htmlPassword: Arbor2020For those inquiring about following the procession from the funeral home (Highland Funeral Home - Scarborough Chapel) to the cemetery (Christ the King Catholic Cemetery): We are still waiting on a final decision from the cemetery. It sounds as if only those in the funeral home will be allowed through the cemetery gates. We will update when this decision is made.Please bear with us as we are still working out details for sending donations to Princess Margaret Hospital. Thank you for all of your condolences and well-wishes for Marina and the family.*** After this COVID pandemic, celebration-of-life ceremony (to give friends, family and loved ones the opportunity to remember and share the joy that Mike brought in their lives) will be scheduled in a later date. We will let everyone know when/where this event will take place, so you and others can attend and celebrate with us. ***