DELAGE, Joseph Gerard Jean-Luc It is with great sadness that the family of Gerard Delage announces his very tragic and sudden death on Thursday, December 7, 2006 at age 61. Gerard was greatly loved by all his family and friends. He was the beloved husband of Cindy, special Dad to Michael and girlfriend Glenda, David and wife Tara, Geoffrey, and very very special "Grampa G" to Owen. He will be sorely missed by sister Rolande and husband Bob, brothers Maurice and wife Suzanne, Andre, and Martin and wife Diane, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and one grand-nephew. Family was extremely important to Gerard, and he was close and dear to so many in the family. Gerard was born in Cap St. Ignace, Quebec, where he lived until age 9, when his father Evangeliste passed away. He then moved to Quebec City with his mother Therese and siblings. He achieved a Masters in Engineering from Laval University, and moved to Ottawa to commence his engineering career. He moved up the career chain for close to 30 years at Bell Northern Research and Nortel Networks. His career culminated in 1999 when he and Cindy accepted a transfer to Nortel UK. They loved their time there, both the friendships they made and the extensive traveling they did. After 4 years Gerard retired, and they returned to Ottawa, to their close knit family and many friends. Gerard embraced his all too short retirement years with a characteristic joie de vivre. Never content to let life pass him by, Gerard lived through his passions - skiing in the winter, tennis, sailing and his newest passion, golf in the warm weather. He truly enjoyed the simple pleasure of creating and this trait was exemplified in his life-long hobby of woodworking. Raising a family in Ottawa was wonderful for Gerard. He spent countless hours as a Beaver, Cub and Scout Leader for his three boys. For a number of years he ran, with his friend Phil, the juvenile ski group of the Ottawa Ski Club, so most winter weekends were spent at Camp Fortune running races, and cheering on his ski-racing sons. The family loved summer hiking, camping, and traveling. "Bel Ami", the family Mirage 24 sailboat, was another passion, both for Britannia Yacht Club races, and cruising weekends. His latest sailing love was the Hunter 37.5 he and Cindy enjoyed sailing in the Chesapeake the past two years. He will be remembered for his keen mind, quirky sense of humour, and most of all his unwavering generosity and support. His kindness and warmth will be dearly missed by family and friends. Friends may visit at the Central Chapel of Hulse, Playfair, and McGarry, 315 McLeod Street, on Monday December 11, 2006 between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., and between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. A celebration of Gerard's life will be held at Blessed Sacrament Church, 194 Fourth Avenue, on Tuesday, December 12th at 11:00 a.m. The family would appreciate donations to either the Regional Cancer Foundation of Ottawa or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Published in the Ottawa Citizen from 12/9/2006 - 12/10/2006