Jeanette Cecile Gagnon

Jeanette Cecile Gagnon of Battle Creek, MI, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2026. Born on November 24, 1938, in Kankakee, IL, the second eldest of five daughters to Raymond and Annette (Rivard) Beauclerc, Jeanette grew up in Union Hill, IL, and graduated from Reddick High School in 1956, where she was a majorette and enjoyed an active social life. After graduating, Jeanette was employed by General Foods Corp. and worked for her future father-in-law, Julius Gagnon. She married Richard Gagnon on September 5, 1959, and they enjoyed 66 years of marriage and an extensive and loving family: 6 children, 14 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren.

Jeanette possessed great faith in God, which she demonstrated daily. As a longtime member of Our Lady of Great Oak Catholic Church, she played guitar and sang for mass over many years, and derived great joy and purpose as a member of the congregation. Her strong faith helped her weather the loss of her son Luke, a breast cancer diagnosis, Parkinsons’ disease, and several other health and life challenges.

The South Michigan Food Bank, Charitable Union, Habitat for Humanity, and Bronson Hospital all benefitted from Jeanette’s kindness and generosity, and she enjoyed volunteering for each. Later in life, Jeanette took a job at Palermo’s restaurant where she proudly worked in the kitchen for over 11 years. She had a talent for and delighted in scoring a bargain and let nothing go to waste.

Jeanette thoroughly enjoyed people and never missed an opportunity to socialize or employ her sense of humor. She was passionate about gardening, sewing, reading, knitting, exercising, baking, playing cards, dancing, and singing, often blessing family, friends, and neighbors with fresh vegetables from her garden, a beautifully knit or sewn creation, or a freshly baked coffee cake. On the rare times she won a game of Peanuts against her kids or grandkids, she was shamelessly triumphant. Jeanette exercised every day her body would allow and treated herself to ice cream, pie, and chocolate at every opportunity. If music was playing, she was either dancing or singing along (Cue YMCA, please!)

Family was Jeanette’s greatest joy. She worked tirelessly to raise her five children and treasured spending time with them and her many grandchildren. She is survived by her loving husband; sisters - Collette Raymond, Charlene (Hank) Rogers, and Nonna Cjeda; in-laws, Max (Monica) Brigham; children - Steve (Tammy) Gagnon, Mike Gagnon, Phil (Gerry) Gagnon, Maria Gagnon-Markucki, Jeff (Sherri) Gagnon; grandchildren - Nicole (Charles) Elder, Danny (Gina) Gagnon, Brad Gagnon, Craig (Harrison) Gagnon, Dylan (Angel) Gagnon, Sonia Markucki, Camille Markucki, and Gavin Markucki, Ariel (Cooper) Sides, Kyle (Kyley) Lefler, Avey (Travis) Ward, Adri (Zak) Krolewicz, Nora Gagnon, Kurt Lefler. Jeanette will be missed immensely. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Paula Brigham, brothers-in-law Adrien Raymond and Jim Cejda, brother/sister-in-law Charles (Rosie) Gagnon, and son Luke Gagnon.

The family will receive friends 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Cremation Preneed Care, 105 Capital Ave. NE Battle Creek, MI 49017 and 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Thursday April 9, 2026 at Our Lady of Great Oak Catholic Church, 6574 Lacey Rd., Bellevue, MI 49021 where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m.. Jeanette loved red, and you are encouraged to wear red in celebration and honor of her life. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Parkinson’s Foundation or American Heart Association.