Evelyn Blackwood passed away August 24 in her 101st year at the Brome Mississquoi Perkins Hospital. Well-known in the Knowlton community, Evelyn was wife of former Knowlton mayor Homer Blackwood. Homer died in 1999, and 12 years later Evelyn married Don French, a well-known local resident and decorated war veteran. Don passed away in 2022.
Early life and career
Evelyn was born in Montreal and lived in the Notre Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood. She attended Villa Maria Convent, and remained a devout Roman Catholic her entire life.
Evelyn worked at the Bell Telephone Company, as it was then known, initially as a summer job during the Second World War, which turned into a full-time career. She met Homer there and they married, and the couple lived in Knowlton.
A passion for the arts
Evelyn loved arts. She painted in oil, watercolors and pastels, created bronze plaques, did ceramics, sewed and knitted. She painted local scenes, churches and many peoples’ pets.
A tireless volunteer
Evelyn was a tireless volunteer, contributing to the organization of the restoration of St. Edouard Catholic Church. In an interview with Tempo on the occasion of her 100th birthday last January, Evelyn recalled that project. “We started an organization with the church to re-do the belfry which was worn out. There was a group of 18 or 20 ladies who did fundraising and I was involved in that.”
She also was responsible for designing and executing the completion of the church’s stained-glass window panels, light fixtures along with the financing for each item being donated in memory of individual families.
Evelyn is survived by her sons, David (Victoria) and Edward, stepdaughter Janet (Claude Boulianne) and five step-grandchildren.
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