Gillian Lalande

Obituary

It is with great sadness and much love that we say goodbye to our beloved mother, wife, daughter and friend who passed away suddenly on December 26th, at the age of 36 years.

Gillian is lovingly remembered by her soulmate and true love, Marco Lalande, and their six beautiful children, Xander, Julia, Sophia, Kaleb, Savannah and Madeleine. She will forever be missed by her loving mother and best friend, Carmel McCarthy, Uncle Dad, Tim McCarthy (Jeanie) who loved her as his own and her three sister-cousins, Ashley Fleming (Andrew), Genna Hickey (Darrell) and Brittany Penney (Justin), her best friend and soul sister, Tara Rideout, her goddaughter, Charlotte Best, loving friends, Vince and Simone King, Brittany Olson and Sarah Ingram, brothers Ryan and Jonathan English, a long list of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and her amazing coworkers at the Royal Alexandra & Misericordia NICU.

Gillian is predeceased by her father, Frank English, her grandparents, Gladys and Patrick McCarthy, her uncles, Ted McCarthy, Mike McCarthy, Gerald Myles, her aunts, Jackie Maloney, Debbie McCarthy, her special cousin, Colin McCarthy, her nephew, Jacob Clarke and niece, Ella Best.

Gillian was a ray of sunshine and left a mark on anyone who knew her. She never let her heart condition (Long QT Syndrome) hold her back and she lived life to the fullest. Gillian was the youngest person in the world to receive a defibrillator at the age of 6 and defied all odds time and time again. In her short 36 years, Gillian embraced life and loved to be with friends and family, travel any chance she got and loved spending time with her six loving children and made countless memories with the love of her life, Marco. Gillian touched the lives of many through her work as a NICU nurse. She was a professional “baby cuddler” and supported so many families on their NICU journey. Gillian was someone who put others before herself and lit up every room with a smile or a laugh. She will be remembered by all that had the pleasure to know her. Her loss will be felt forever and her legacy will live on in her children.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to Tara, Vince, Simone and Jocelyne for their continued support, Gillian’s many doctors and nurses throughout the years, those who donated to the GoFundMe and sent condolences and prayers.

A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, January 3rd, 2025, at Evolve Church, 1851 94St NW, Edmonton.

Legacy donations in name of the deceased can be made directly to the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation. 

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Memory wall