February 7th, 1932 – November 26th, 2023
Joyce Alksne was born at the St Boniface Hospital on February 7th, 1932. She died peacefully at the St Boniface Hospital on Nov 26th, 2023. Joyce was the youngest of four siblings. Brother Herbert John Alksne, sister Helen Lagsdine, and sister Dorothy (Dolly) Karklin preceded her in death. Joyce leaves to mourn her daughter Janice Leah Goulet, son John Stanley Goulet (Holly), youngest daughter Sandra Helene Young (Terry), daughter-in-law Holly Louise Goulet (nee Nadolsky), son-in-law Terry Adam Young, granddaughter Elise Dawn Moore and grandson Logan Miles Goulet.
Joyce grew up in Lettonia and often talked about her grandfather, Jakob Zekalowsky, and her father, John Alksne, who passed away when her children were too young to remember. Her mother, Matilda, who played an important part in the lives of her daughters and their grandchildren, passed away in 1977 at the age of 84.
At a very young age, Joyce moved to McCreary, Wawanesa, and Beausejour for work. After returning from fighting in Europe during WWII, Lorne Goulet went into the bank where Joyce worked and immediately vowed to marry the beautiful teller who had served him. Joyce and Lorne married in 1953 and lived in Bird River. They later settled in Lac du Bonnet, where she worked at the RBC and Pinawa Atomic Energy. As their children grew up, the years were filled with family gatherings. The three sisters’ families stayed close, celebrating birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Canada Day (July 1st) together. Occasionally, her brother Herb, his wife Dorothy and their three sons, Donald, Steven and Lea, would come out from B.C. Herb died in 1978.
After divorcing in 1973, Joyce changed back to her maiden name, moved to Winnipeg and worked as a night auditor for several downtown hotels. She had several stories of being held up by knifepoint during her time on the night shift and consequently became friends with several of the Winnipeg police officers. Joyce eventually followed her son and daughters to British Columbia with a brief stay in Fiji, settling in Richmond, where she worked at the Richmond Inn. Joyce worked and lived in Richmond for 16 years, making many lifelong friends. After retiring in 2000, Joyce moved to Pinawa and eventually back to Lac du Bonnet. Joyce was active on Facebook, sharing old family photos she had scanned and digitized. Twenty of those historical photographs were published in a book sub-titled “An Illustrated Journey Through the History of Latvians in Manitoba (1895-2018)”. Joyce was fiercely independent but, at 90 years of age, reluctantly moved into a supportive housing facility in 2022, where she quickly became friends with the residents and staff.
Joyce loved her nieces and nephews: Davis (Treece), Dorothy (Bill), Shelley (Hank), Georgina (Ian), and Danny. Joyce also “kept track” of her sister’s grandchildren, Cindy, Trevor, Dale, Vicky, Jillian, and Gavin, and was conscious of where they were and what they were up to.
Lorne’s brother Ronald and his family stayed close for many years. Joyce became good friends with her sister-in-law Helen (nee Wells) Goulet. Joyce was predeceased by her niece Lynn, nephews Ronald and Bill, and Helen and Ron. Joyce is survived by her niece Beth and nephew Dave.
Joyce was a proud member of AA, making many lifelong friends, including her best friend Effie Sippola (nee Lauttamus). Joyce was predeceased by Effie and her schoolmate and friend Helen Stine (nee Lagsdine) in 2011.
Joyce only had two bucket list wishes. The first was visiting Australia, a place she had been fascinated with since she was a little girl. She completed that wish in 1971 by catching an American Airlines flight to Sydney with her son John, spending two weeks travelling to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, and Mackay, and cruising to the Great Barrier Reef. She talked about that journey all her life.
In 2012, Joyce completed a DNA test with Ancestry.ca, proving she was 100% Latvian, something she was immensely proud of. The second item on her bucket list was to visit her parents’ home country, Latvia. Although she didn’t complete the second wish on her bucket list herself, her son John travelled to Riga, Latvia, in 2022, and, for Joyce, that was as good as going herself. Her bucket list was complete.
Cremation has taken place, and a St John’s Day celebration of life will be held at the Lettonia Cemetery on June 22nd, 2024, at 1:30 pm. Joyce would love for you to be there.
Her Facebook page (joyce.alksne) is active for sending condolences, pictures, or any stories you wish to share.
A big thank you to all the staff at Chez-Nous Retirement Home. Joyce loved her apartment and enjoyed being fussed over by the dedicated and caring staff.
Special thanks to the emergency doctors, nurses, and staff at the Saint Boniface Hospital, who treated Joyce with compassion and dignity and allowed her a peaceful passage.
