Michael Julien passed away on December 28, 2025. He was born on October 28, 1946, in St. George’s, Grenada, a place that forever lived in his heart.
Michael is deeply missed by his loving children: Debbie (Howard), Beverly, Michael John, Charlene, and Jacquie. He will be deeply missed by his grandchildren Chanelle (Jerome), Marszel, Daeshon, Sanniyah, Declan, and Chozen, as well as his great-grandchildren Aiden, Nathaniel, and Jeremiah. He is also lovingly remembered by many family members and friends throughout the Caribbean and North America.
Up until the end period of his life, Michael fondly recounted memories of Grenada in a way that made you feel as though you were living those moments right alongside him. His stories were rich, vivid, and filled with warmth. Just like him.
Gardening was one of Michael’s great passions. When he moved to Canada, one of the very first things he did was rent land on the outskirts of Winnipeg to start a garden. He would harvest his crops and donate the produce to those in need, a gesture of generosity he carried throughout his life. This spirit of giving extended to his love of cooking, where he often prepared large, extravagant meals and personally delivered food to those less fortunate.
Food was not just a passion, it was his calling. Michael began his career as an executive chef at the Grenada Beach Hotel, in St. George’s. Later he continued at the Gordon Hotels in Winnipeg, where he worked for over 40 years with them, beginning in 1971, and most of his career with this hotel group was as the Executive Chef of the Assiniboine Gordon Inn on the Park, up until his retirement in 2018.
Sunday dinners were a cherished tradition in his home. He would prepare a full Caribbean feast, opening his doors to family and friends to share in his creations, laughter, and love.
Michael was a strong man, a quiet man, full of humour and heart. His laugh lives on in our minds and hearts, as do his silly jokes, which he loved to test out on strangers passing by or cashiers at the checkout, always leaving smiles in his wake.
In 2018, Michael’s health began taking a difficult turn, yet he remained resilient, fighting with strength, dignity, and grace. The family thanks Dad’s WRHA home care team personnel, who took care of him from 2018 until 2021, for their support, dignified care, dedication, and attention to his welfare that they had offered him. In the recent years during his time residing at St. Norbert Personal Care Home, Grace Hospital, and Riverview Health Centre (Riverview), over the period from 2021 to up until his passing, he became a favourite among all staff, known for his sweet, calm, patient and accepting demeanour. The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the caregivers at SNPCH, Grace Hospital, and Riverview for the compassion and love they showed our dad. We are forever grateful for the extra time we were given with him.
We picture Dad standing at his bar, raising a glass, cheersing us all with his familiar words: “To Long life and happiness.”
We love you, Dad. You will be forever missed and forever cherished.
Michael is Predeceased by his mother, Marie Julien, his father, Norris Aird, his siblings Lenny, Trevor, Barbara, Angela and Winston.
A special mention to dad’s family: Anna Julien, Bernadette Julien, Dennot Julien, Royston Aird, Orandal Benoit, Diane Benoit, Monica Jackson, Merle Aird of Trinidad; Norman Aird, Osbert Benoit, Bernard Benoit of Grenada, the Ventour family in Morne Jaloux, Beaulieu and the U.S., the Boyd family of New Hampshire, Grenada, and many nieces and nephews in Grenada and the U.S., and Canada.
The family would like to especially recognize the care and medical teams at SNPCH, Grace Hospital and Riverview for the dedication, tenderness and love they gave. We especially thank the doctors Joshua, George, Goulet, and Sochocki at Grace Hospital, and Dr. Blom at Riverview for every intervention that they made that gave us more time with our beloved father.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba or the Riverview Health Centre Foundation.
The viewimg and small funeral/memorial service will take place on Wednesday, January 7 at 11 AM, Voyage Funeral Home at 220 Hespeler Ave.
