RIP: LCol (ret’d) Jacques Girardin, CD

Westmount, Quebec – 23 December 2024: The RMR Foundation regrets to announce the death of Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Jacques Girardin, CD (1940–2024). His military service culminated in three important roles:

• Commanding Officer of The Royal Montreal Regiment (1976–1978)
• Commanding Officer of the 4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment (Châteauguay) (1983–1986)
• Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment (Châteauguay) (2010–2014)

Born on August 27, 1940, in Sherbrooke, he completed his primary education in Lennoxville and pursued higher education in Sherbrooke. In June 1962, he graduated from the Textile Institute in Saint-Hyacinthe, specializing in wool. He was a member of the 6th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment (6R22eR) military band. He joined the Sherbrooke Regiment in 1962, where he earned his commission. From 1964 to 1966, he served in the 35th Field Artillery Regiment in Granby. From 1966 to 1970, he was a member of the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment in Pembroke, Ontario, where he was promoted to the rank of captain.

When he moved to Montreal in 1970, he joined the RMR as a company commander and then Deputy Commanding Officer before taking command of the unit from 1976 to 1978. Known for his resilience and diplomatic approach, he steered the RMR through a time when recruitment was low, and Quebec’s political climate was highly turbulent. Under his command, Girardin worked tirelessly to ensure the regiment’s operational capability and morale. During the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, he facilitated the involvement of RMR soldiers in Operation GAMESCAN 76, contributing to the security efforts that underscored their professionalism and adaptability​.

He undertook a placement at the Headquarters of Eastern Sector (Militia) as chairman of the officer candidate selection committee. From September 1983 to 1986, he commanded the 4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment (Châteauguay). On the occasion of Saint-Jérôme’s 150th anniversary, he organized the granting of the city’s Freedom of the City rights as well as a grand military ball.

He was the founding president of the 4R22eR Former Commanders’ Council in 1984, an organization that continues to operate today. He was also Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Sherbrooke Hussars and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4R22eR from 2011 to 2014.

On June 18, 1984, he married Mary Alice Bennett. His passion for music led him to become president of the Lachine Harmony. In civilian life, he ran his own textile agency, acting as a broker in the wool and textile machinery industry.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at 11:00 AM at St. John Paul II Parish Church (34 34th Avenue, Montreal, QC H8S 4B7).

Lest We Forget.