Obituary of Madelaine Joy Tousseau

Our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Madelaine Tousseau passed from suffering to eternal rest on March 8, 2011, in Santa Cruz. She was 83 years old. She was born in Moab, Utah on April 30, 1927 to Charles Berry and Berthalee Wallis. In 1945, Madelaine married her darling, Raymond Tousseau Sr., and moved to the Bay Area. In 1953, they hiked up a wooded hill in Santa Cruz overlooking the Pacific Ocean and decided to build their house there. Happily married for 60 years, the couple raised three sons. Madelaine and Ray were active members of San Agustin Catholic Church in Scotts Valley. She went to Mass every Sunday and enjoyed being part of the Altar Society and serving as a Eucharistic Minister. Madelaine loved to write, read mystery novels, and spend time with her family and many friends. She and her husband liked to take drives down to Monterey and Carmel. With their boat La Bonne Vie, Madelaine and Ray were members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 47 in Santa Cruz. A gifted writer, Madeleine wrote for Coast Guard Auxiliary publications, including a column called "It Happened on Patrol" in The Whistling Buoy and several articles in The Navigator. She also penned a column for a local paper in Aptos. Friends and family will remember Madelaine's independence, her happy smile, and above all, her kind nature. To many people, she was a beacon of light. Madelaine is survived by her sons Ray Jr., Gary, and Richard; grandchildren Chris, Gary Jr., Tim, Anne, Elizabeth, Louise, John, Emily, and Holley; and great-grandchildren Kyler, Jolene, and Quinton. Her beloved husband Ray passed away earlier. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 15, at San Agustin Catholic Community (257 Glenwood Dr., Scotts Valley, CA) beginning at 11:30 a.m. She will be laid to rest in a private ceremony, beside her husband Ray, at Santa Cruz Memorial Park. Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel are entrusted with the arrangements.