Obituary of Armanda Denise Taillefer

Armanda (Denise Jodoin) Taillefer (Silly Nanny) A devoted mother, grandmother and loving partner to Raymond Lawrence, peacefully passed away on August 6th, 2019, age 75, in Cranbrook, BC. Armanda is survived by her children, Vallerine Ballauf (Christopher), Stanley Jodoin, Korina Campbell (John); their father, Stanley Jodoin; her grandchildren, Lachlan & Ian Campbell; her brother, Eric Herok (Barbara); and her many nieces and nephews, Trini, Candace, Claudine, Sasha, Tiffany, Lance and Jaime. Armanda is predeceased by her parents, Armand Taillefer and Stella Herok (Antoni); and her siblings, James Taillefer, Sonia Stone and Anthony Herok. Armanda was born in St. Mary's Hospital, Montreal, Quebec on June 19th, 1944. She was raised Catholic in St. Michael the Archangel Parish. She ran away from all that, with her young family, on a hippy pilgrimage to Vancouver, BC in 1969. In 1971, the family house burned down. The Vancouver Christmas Bureau came to her family's rescue. This set in motion the work that is her legacy as she spent the next two decades 'paying if forward'. In a career that culminated in her being the Coordinator of The Christmas Bureau, she brought cohesiveness to Vancouver's Christmas charities. She gave the joy of Christmas to thousands of Vancouver's neediest children. In the mid-70's, she started on a journey of self-discovery and personal empowerment participating in Erhard's Seminar Training workshops (est). Quickly tiring of the journey to Seattle in order to participate in est workshops, she demanded and tirelessly worked toward the establishment of the Vancouver Area Center. This push to internationalize Werner Erhard's work has been credited as an inspiration for the formation of The Hunger Project. She volunteered and worked with est for fifteen years. During her tenure, she was a Team Leader trainer and the Project Manager for An Idea Whose Time Has Come and The Heart of The Matter. She was also Personal Assistant to the Regional Manager. She helped thousands of people in their quest for personal growth and enlightenment. It was here that she met the love of her life, Raymond Lawrence. Armanda and Raymond spent the next decade as the proprietors of Raymond Lawrence Jewelry Appraisal Ltd. In Vancouver. They ran away from all that in 1998 to enjoy their semi-retirement in heavenly, Cranbrook, BC. Here, she continued her dedication to community service in her role as a board member of The Summit Community Services Society. Throughout all these stages there was always a spare room for anyone in need. She provided shelter from the storm to an assortment of people, be they runaway teenagers, friends and family in need or battered women. Dozens of people found a place to recover and build a future with her nurturing generosity. A private, family, Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Vancouver Christmas Bureau. Please share your best memories of Armanda (Denise) in the Comments section below. Arrangements entrusted to McPherson Funeral Service. Condolences for the family can be offered at: www.mcphersonfh.com