Alice Fougere (Nassichuk) passed away peacefully at the age of 91 at her home in Powell River on February 27, 2025, with family by her side.
The only regret in Alice’s life was having to retire at age 65. If she could have, she would still be working in the office at Brooks Secondary School today.
Although her health slowed her down slightly in the past few years, it in no way impeded her ability to make her weekly Lotto Max and Keno purchases.
Alice was born in Powell River to Katie and Bill Nassichuk. She grew up on Duncan Street, graduating from the old Brooks School in 1952. In her youth she worked at The Panda Cafe and at the Fiesta Restaurant on Marine Avenue, earning 17 cents an hour. What she really wanted was to be a police officer. After exploring that option in Vancouver, she chose to leave that path to her younger brothers.
While she was in Vancouver, she worked at the Woodward’s food floor for six months, then, on returning to Powell River, worked at Mitchell Brothers. Shortly after that, she began her career with School District 47 after her old principal came to the store to headhunt her for his school. She started working as the secretary in the main office at Brooks School in 1953. Many people say that she ended up doing a lot of “policing” there over the years, where she affectionately became known as Miss Brooks. When she retired in 1999, she was making $17 an hour, “big bucks” in comparison to her days at The Panda decades earlier.
Alice married Leonard Fougere in June 1957, linking her to all the Powell Riverites who, like Len, were transplants from Nova Scotia. That same year, with the help of Alice’s dad Bill, Len built their house on Manitoba Avenue. There they raised their four beautiful boys, and she remained there until her passing.
She watched her sons graduate, marry and start their own families. She never dreamed of also seeing all her grandchildren graduate, marry and give her great-grandchildren. Witnessing all those milestones for the family brought her so much happiness and pride.
In her retirement, Alice continued to keep in touch with (and an eye on) many kids she saw go through the school system in Powell River. While her unofficial title when working was “Miss Brooks,” in retirement she was affectionately called “Mrs. Google.” She always seemed to know the who, what, when, where, why and how of countless people and stories, and kept her valued friends and contacts very close right up to her final days.
Alice often knew what people were in need of, whether they knew it or not, and she was selfless in always giving her help to them. She managed to continue to do so even when she became housebound.
Alice is survived by her sons Blake (Brenda), Todd (Louise), Ward (Amanda) and Randy (Christine), her 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, as well as her sister Julie Forbes and brothers Walter, Don, Ron and Sandy Nassichuk. She was predeceased by her husband Len (2017) and brother Michael (2018).
We would like to extend our most sincere thanks to Dr. Blake Hoffert, and in more recent years, Dr. Amy Sawchuck, the amazing team at Family Tree Medical, all the awesome Home Care nurses and care aides, the staff at the qathet General Hospital’s Emergency Room, ICU and Ambulatory Unit, the staff at FreshCo Pharmacy, and Pat and Joanne and staff at Stubberfield Funeral Home.
We also wish to thank Father Patrick Tepoorten for his ongoing support, and most especially for all those who supplied Alice with her steady supply of newspapers in the last few years.
No service by request.
