Madeleine A. Gazaille

Madeleine A. Gazaille (née Lemieux), left this world peacefully on February 2, 2026, at her home in South Hadley, Massachusetts, surrounded by the love of her family. Born on April 5, 1931, in the seaside town of Saint-Maxime-du-Mont-Louis, Québec, Canada, Madeleine embraced life with a spirit of determination and compassion.

Madeleine was the cherished daughter of Adélard and Yvonne (Lapointe) Lemieux, both of whom predeceased her, along with her beloved husband, Jules Gazaille, and her siblings: Marthe, Léonard, and Raymond Lemieux and her best friend and cousin, Anne Marie Ricard (Lemieux). She is lovingly remembered by her brother, Roland Lemieux, his wife, Louise Godbout, and sister-in-law Mariette Létourneau. Madeleine's legacy endures through her four devoted children: Susan Fliss (Peter), Daniel Gazaille (Joan), Andre G. Gazaille (Mary), and Louise Gzyms (Michael). She was the proud grandmother of six: Joseph, Matthew, Madeleine Gazaille, and Maya, Kayla, and Colin Gzyms. Additionally, her life touched many, including numerous well-loved nieces and nephews from the Lemieux, Létourneau, and Ricard families.

A dedicated and caring individual, Madeleine’s roots were deeply entrenched in her education, having attended L’École normale Marie River before moving to South Hadley in 1959. She was a devoted Catholic and an active member of Le Cercle des Dames Françaises and St. Theresa’s of Lisieux Parish.

In her professional life, Madeleine enjoyed supporting students as a housekeeper at Mount Holyoke College for many years, was part of the team at Olde Towne Caterers, and was a skilled and creative seamstress. Her kindness, dedication, and warm spirit enriched the lives of many during her working years.

Madeleine instilled French-Canadian culture in her family’s life with culinary favorites such as her delicious meat pies, pichoune pie, sucre à la crème and making “la tire” pulled taffy in the snow. She loved traditional French-Canadian music and listened to her musician nephews' recordings of their reels. She carried her love for her extended Quebecois family in her heart.

Madeleine loved to garden and took daily walks around her beautiful flower beds. She also enjoyed playing the piano and continued rollerblading well into her 70’s. 

As we gather to celebrate her life, calling hours will be held on Friday, Feb 13th from 4:00pm-7:00pm at the Beers & Story South Hadley Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, Feb 14th at 10:00am at St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in South Hadley.  Burial will follow in Notre Dame Cemetery.

 Madeleine's family will remember her as a loving matriarch whose kindness and strength resonated through generations. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in her honor to the Special Olympics of Massachusetts at 512 Forest St., Marlborough, MA 01752, or to Jericho at 537 Northampton St., Holyoke, MA 01040.