After a 21-year battle with cancer, Marie "Monique" Ellis (nee Michaud), aged 52, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 18, 2023, surrounded by her closest friends and loved ones.

Born in 1970 in Fort Smith, NWT, Monique grew up in St. Paul, Alberta, before moving to Calgary when she was 17. At 19, she met the love of her life, James, and the two were married in 1995 before having two beautiful children, Bryndon, and Ariana. Monique devoted her life not only to the upbringing of her own children, but to many others through her employment in daycares, and then later the operation of her own day home before the onset of cancer derailed her life.

During her two-decade-long battle with cancer, Monique remained unrelentingly optimistic, in part due to her deep faith in God.  Even as her condition worsened, impacting her vision, memory, and mobility, she remained positive to the very end.  Those of us blessed to have known her were warmed by her brilliant smile and devoted friendship, sharing laughs and love with her right up until her final day.

Monique is survived by her immediate family, her sister Helene Sundberg; brother Robert Michaud; and a host of nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She will be sorely missed.

A Celebration of Life for Monique will be held at her spiritual home, SunWest Church (260 Midpark Blvd SE), on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, we would ask that people whose lives were touched by Monique make donations to the Canadian Cancer Society at www.cancer.ca ,  in the hopes that someday no other family need lose a loved one to this scourge.

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