Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Jack Lee Mouse was born on May 15th, 1972, in Fort Simpson. He passed away on March 14th, 2023, at the age of 51. He was the son of Cecelia Mouse and Frederick Tonka. When we heard that he passed away, the family, friends and community were very shocked and saddened. Mr. Speaker, death has taken away a genuinely nice individual and, more importantly, a loving nephew, cousin, and brother. While the family and friends mourned the loss, they gathered in Fort Simpson to pay tribute and a celebration a life this past Tuesday. I can advise you that he had left a lasting impression in the minds of his acquaintances and others. People knew him as a pleasant, cooperative, helpful, and dedicated individual. Everyone at the service talked about how they always remembered his laugh and how it made them feel.
Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of knowing Jack in 1993 on the ball field in Fort Simpson when we played the Roadrunners team. He stood out because of several things. He has a reverse grip when he went up to bat on the lefthand side of the plate. He could spray and hit the ball into whatever location he wanted, and he was very fast. He played right field and enjoyed the game. On top of those attributes, he always had fun and was an excellent sportsman on and off the field. His team gave him the nickname "Tamarack Jack."
Mr. Speaker, as time passed, and the more I got to know him, I had the pleasure of chatting with him off and on throughout the years, especially when he walked past my home when I was outside. I can tell you he was a very proud person who loved where he was brought up and his family. He was a very nice person that cared about his family.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that this is a particularly difficult and painful time for his family. In extending to them my heartfelt condolences, I wish them courage and strength as they deal with their loss.
Mr. Speaker, I received a beautiful writeup from his cousin Angela, and I would like it to be deemed as read and printed in the Hansard.
Mr. Speaker, the family would like to thank everybody for their support during this difficult time, especially Liidlii Kue First Nation and their executive director. He will be sadly missed by his surviving family and friends.
Hi Shane, Please find enclosed the letter about my cousin Jack, as promised. First off, we will miss him so very much, he was so young.
Growing up with Jack, he was no different than my brother Daniel. He was so funny, and his laugh was amazing. There were so many good memories of Jack that we all loved, especially how good he was at fishing and hunting. He would share the food he hunted for, and he'd give it to family. He was so kind and always cared about others before himself. We all are like Jack this way so much.
One of the amazing things I loved about my cousin Jack was how fast he was at running. We were at Gramma's cabin across the river, we were just little kids then, and I tried catching up to Jack as he was running from me in the bush. I called out for him but he was super fast and he was gone. I was amazed how fast he was, just like his nickname "roadrunner" like the cartoon.
Jack was so very traditional. He reminded me of my amazing uncles. He would always be speaking Dene, and this was so important to our culture and who we all are. Jack and my mom Elizabeth Mouse taught me, my brother Daniel, and my little sister MaryEllen how to go fishing the amazing way tie some fishing string on a stick with a simple hook holding a piece of bread or a small fish and it worked big time. I caught the biggest jack fish at ten years old with my amazing cousin Jack and my sister and brother.
Jack will be forever missed so much. Everyone loved Jack. He was such an amazing, good person. Thank you for the reading. Angela Elizabeth McGonigle.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community at this time.
