Charron, Denis

On Monday, April 17, after an intense but brave fight against cancer, Denis Charron passed away peacefully at his home in Brampton. He was surrounded by his entire family:  loving wife Shalesa, daughters Leiana, Kira, Devita and her boyfriend Bryce, cherished brother and sister-in-law Norm and Scheherazade Johnson, and his nephews Ryan and Owen.  His beloved canine companions, Guinness, Yukon, and Wild, were nearby, as always.

Denis enjoyed a full and adventurous life all across Canada, especially in the North, and even across our borders.  Born in Val d’Or, Quebec and raised in Ottawa, he spent several years as a lad with his family in Peru.

The South America years were thanks to his father, Jean, a well-traveled geologist. Denis was chip off the ol’ rock, studying geology at the University of Manitoba. That’s where he struck gold, meeting Shalesa (Ishmael), his best friend and wife of 31 years.  The couple started a family in Winnipeg and eventually moved to Brampton. There he regaled friends with hair-raising tales of plummeting down mine shafts or cycling, with his wife, across Fiji and New Zealand.

Throughout his life, Denis remained a principled and uncompromising role model. He proudly raised his three daughters to love adventure and the outdoors as much as he did, taking them hiking on the Bruce Trail, canoeing on Northern Ontario rivers and lakes, and skating on the Rideau Canal. He was cremated in his favourite Roots t-shirt sporting a paddle and maple leaf motif. In his own neighbourhood, he was known as a reliable handyman, storyteller, scotch connoisseur, and truly loyal friend.

In addition to his wife, daughters, and many devoted friends, Denis leaves behind his mother Rita of Ottawa as well as his sister Patricia Branchaud and her husband Denis, sister Diane Lamb and her husband Peter, brother Robert Charron and his wife Laura and youngest sibling Suzanne Houle and her husband Bernard.

The family would like to thank Heart House Hospice, Brameast Family Health Organization and St. Elizabeth Home Health Care for providing support and comfort.

A celebration of Denis’ life will be held at Alderlea in Downtown Brampton on June 11th, 2017.  If you would like to attend, please RSVP before May 11th by sending an email to  [email protected].

In lieu of flowers, kindly donate to the Heart House Hospice in Mississauga at