Monique Salaun Dearing's Obituary
On July 12, 1958, Monique married John, the love of her life, in Paris, France. Their love was real and very strong as it transcended the barriers of the hatred they faced because of their interracial union. John was in the United States Air Force, which attempted to postpone their marriage, but Monique with her powerful and determined spirit never let them or anyone stop her love for her husband and for her life. She understood her place on earth and she knew God created her to be just as worthy of acceptance, love, and respect as anyone else.
Monique was stunningly beautiful with her hazel eyes and lovely French accent. She loved her family deeply! She had daughter, Carmen, in Paris in 1958, and son, Patrick, in Jamestown, New York, in 1959, and shortly thereafter moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she lived out her life. She would affectionately call John, “Joe-nee,” for “Johnnie,” and she would sit for hours having long conversations with her family near and far to provide strength, guidance, and understanding of life. In her last years, she and John allowed only a few to enter their precious space, and Monique’s spirit was complete. That was all she wanted and all that she needed.
Monique was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, daughter, and entrepreneur who owned a successful massage therapy business for over 20 years. She was a spark of energy, a funny person at times, and a serious and sensitive person who possessed a strong work/life ethic. She learned how to love, forgive, and appreciate the intricacies of life’s complicated and sometimes heartbreaking trials, and she paved the way for her family as she supported them in any way she could.
Monique is survived by her beloved husband, John Dearing; her daughter, Carmen Stone, and her husband, Roy, and their children, Ryan and Natasha; her son, Patrick and his wife, Donna, and Pat’s children Vanessa and Patrick, from first wife, Ana, who remains family always, and Patrick Jr.’s children, Eva and Maiah; her niece, Marie Claire Des Fosse, and her husband, Jean Claude, and their children Jeremy and Laura; niece, Louise, and her son, Ludwig; nephews Jean Claude and Patrick; her niece, Cindy Manly-Fields, and her husband Ernie, and their children, Daniel and Aimee; other family and friends in France and on the East Coast; and everyone she met who will cherish her beautiful memory.
Rest in Heavenly Peace Monique!
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