It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Madeleine d’Auray on June 18, 2026 in Ottawa.
Daughter of the late Thérèse Vermette and Ernest St-Laurent, Madeleine will be sorely missed by her husband Guy, her best friend, love of her life and partner for more than 60 years, her beloved daughter, Michelle, and her family and friends.
Madeleine was courageous, cultured, intelligent, beautiful, determined, at times funny, and fiercely independent. She had a rich professional life in administration and public relations, working for the CBC/Radio-Canada, the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Rideau Hall, and Foreign Affairs (on contract). She worked many years with members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, and organized many international events both in Canada and in Europe.
She loved her trips to New York with Guy and Michelle, as well as summer months spent in Juan-les-Pins. Madeleine was always ready to travel with her husband or her daughter – always game for a new destination. She enjoyed good food and having people over, but cooking, not so much. She doted on all the cats she adopted over the years. An avid reader, she remained a member of a book club until her death. She was determined to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in French literature, which she obtained in 2001 from the University of Ottawa at the age of 68 while working full time.
Vibrant, charming, perfectionist at heart, and engaging, Madeleine leaves a huge hole in our lives.
The family thanks Drs Sarah Moore (Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre) and Martha Holt (Bruyere Family Medicine Centre) for their care and dedication, as well as her close friends, family and caregivers who were with her until the end.
The family will receive condolences at Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, on Thursday July 9, 2026, from 3 pm to 7 pm.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Ottawa Humane Society, the Montfort Hospital Foundation, the Ottawa Hospital Foundation or the Bruyère Foundation.
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