Lucienne M. ‘Lou’ Gensel

Lou was born on Oct. 5, 1923, in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada. She was the eighth of 10 children of Isadore Joseph and Alida (Comtois) Lanthier. She moved with her family to Tupper Lake in 1924.

Lou attended Holy Ghost Academy and graduated with the Class of 1943.

She met her husband, Darwin K. “Tony” Gensel, shortly after he returned from service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. They were married on Mother’s Day, May 11, 1947, at St. Alphonsus Rectory by Monsignor Hervieux. They were attended by Harold Barrett and Theresa (Robinson) LaLonde.

“Aunt Lou” was a devoted wife, sister, mother and grandmother. She loved spending time with her family and very large extended Lanthier and Gensel families, as well as her many “adopted” children from the neighborhood and Mount Arab Lake.

Along with her husband, Tony, she enjoyed spending time at their summer home on Mount Arab Lake and winters in Florida visiting with family and friends.

During the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, she worked as a bilingual associate in the gift shop of the Athletes Village in Ray Brook, where she met many of the participating athletes. And in 1996, she was selected as one of 600 delegates to the National Issues Convention in Austin, Texas.

Lou was active in her local community, having served as a Troop leader with the Girl Scouts and a den mother with the Cub Scouts. She was a member of the St. Anne Society and the Legion of Mary.

She is survived by her five children: Gail M. Carmichael of Blue Mountain Lake, Mrs. Richard (Cindy) LaBarge of Tupper Lake, Darwin K. Gensel Jr. and his wife Sherry of Syracuse, Daniel M. Gensel and his partner Robert C. Whitehouse of New York City and Robert J. Gensel of Queens; and five grandchildren: Geoffrey P. Carmichael and his wife Dawn of Tupper Lake, Mrs. Andrew (Carolyn) Martin of Hudson Falls, Kyle R. LaBarge of Tupper Lake and Katherine and Jennifer Gensel of Syracuse. Lou had two beautiful great-grandchildren, Genna J. and Myles G. Carmichael of Tupper Lake. They brought her much joy and laughter during her final months. She is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Mrs. Edgar (Wilma) Lanthier and Mrs. Eddie (Elsie) Lanthier.

Many thanks and love are shared with Debbie Monette, who was Lou’s faithful companion and friend for the past five years. Laughter was her best medicine.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, “Tony”; her parents, Isadore and Alida; her two sisters: Mrs. Edgar (Aurore) Trudeau and Mrs. Alex (Clara) Kulpecsha; and her seven brothers: Wilfred, Camille, Adrien, Isadore, Gerard, Edgar and Eddie.

Calling hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5 at the Stuart-Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Tupper Lake. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at noon Friday, March 6 at the St. Alphonsus Church in Tupper?Lake. Burial will be in Gale Cemetery in May.

Those wishing to make memorial contributions are asked to consider High Peaks Hospice or the Tupper Lake rescue squad in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be made at www.stuartfortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.