Linda Dufour (Bergeron) 1951 – 2013 A member of our Gardex family and a part of our heart.

This is difficult to write, finding the right thoughts to put to paper.

Linda Dufour (Bergeron), passed away last Thursday afternoon, cancer claiming another good person and kind soul too early in their life.

Linda helped run our Montreal office with Pierre for years now, a husband and wife “team” working side by side day in and day out, servicing the needs of all the clients in Quebec. A true partnership. You always referred to the branch as “Linda and Pierre”, never just the “Montreal branch”.

Linda was a special person, with a warm welcome for customers, a smile, and a twinkle in her eyes that always betrayed her love of life.

I knew Linda for the past 12 or 13 years, mainly through hundreds of phone calls or emails, seeking more product or a discount for somebody. Or putting in a request for Pierre, whose own computer skills are widely known.

But I also had the pleasure to work side by side in the age old job of manning a booth at one association meeting or another. Q&A, customer interface, making a sale.

It didn’t take long to see the respect and caring, true friendships, Linda shared with her customer. Sure there was business, but it was the friendships that came through. People enjoyed working with Linda, as she enjoyed working with her customers. She was fun, full of life, but also went to whatever lengths to make certain the customer was taken care of.

Our company is based on it’s people. Certainly we have brick and mortar and goods to sell, but it is only our people that make us what we are. And having only 12 members of the “family” each of us becomes that much more important.

Linda was an important part of our family, and will be greatly missed.

Linda is survived by her husband Pierre, who will continue on with Gardex, and two great sons, Martin and Benoit. Our hearts go out to all of them.