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Welcome to the memorial page for
Simone Florette (Desroches) Parnell
March 15, 1917 ~ June 15, 2015 (age 98) 98 Years OldShare using:
Simone Parnell
March 15, 1917 ~ June 15, 2015
Simone Florette Parnell (née Desroches) was born in Batiscan, Québec, Canada on March 15, 1917, and died peacefully in her sleep June 15, 2015 in Bloomington, IL. at her daughter Madeleine’s home. Predeceased by her husband, Dr. Charles E. Parnell, and their children, Joseph and Catherine, she will be missed by her daughters, Marie (Michael) Peebles, Madeleine (Christopher) Callahan, and Anne-Michele (James) Garrett; her eight grandchildren; fifteen great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews in the United States as well as Canada.
Simone lived an idyllic childhood in Quebec, surrounded by her five older siblings and many friends. She attended Mount Ste. Marie convent school in Montreal, where she developed her great love of writing. This served her well as a pen pal of her future husband, Charles Parnell; as secretary to a minister of Parliament, in Ottawa; and later, as editor of Charles’s PhD thesis at Yale University. She wrote many letters and poems treasured by her family.
She married Charles in 1946. After two years at Yale, home became the University of Notre Dame, where she was active in the Ladies of Notre Dame, in the Christian Family Movement, and as “Mom” to the students in the foreign studies program in Angers, France. Shortly before Charles died in 2004, Simone moved to her daughter Madeleine’s home in Bloomington, IL, where she remained active well into her nineties, attending concerts and lectures, attending church in St. Mary’s parish, and volunteering at Clare House, where she
prepared food bags for the homeless.
She is resting at the Palmer Funeral Home - Hickey Chapel, 17131 Cleveland Road, South Bend, IN, where friends may visit with the family from 8:00 - 9:00 am Friday, June 19, 2015. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 am Friday, June 19, 2015 in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Rev. Thomas Jones, CSC will officiate. Interment will take place at the Cedar Grove Cemetery. A Memorial Mass in Bloomington, IL will be celebrated at a date to be published later.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in memory of Simone may be donated to the Charles and Simone Parnell Award, c/o University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 or the Clare House, 703 E. Washington Street, Bloomington, IL 61701. Online condolences may be left for the Parnell family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.
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