Celeste Marie Pryde (nee Doucette) of Lethbridge, Alberta, passed in her home after a lengthy illness, on September 27, 2026, at the age of 73.
Besides her loving husband of 53 years, John Pryde (who was her primary caregiver), Celeste is survived by her daughter Laurel Pryde of Calgary (Zdin McCullough); her son Jason Pryde of Lethbridge, her grandson Andres Villegas-Pryde of Calgary (Hailey Pacheco), her sisters Cynthia Copper, Serena Smith, Lucinda Doucette-Pilles (Herb Pilles), and Donaleen Hawes (Michael); and cousins in Nova Scotia; nieces and nephews in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, France, Japan, Costa Rica and USA; and sisters-in-law Joanne and Pat.
Celeste was predeceased by her daughter Vanessa, her father Wayne Doucet, her mother Irene Doucette, and brothers Harold, David, and Wayne.
Celeste was born in Prince George B.C. when her family travelled across Canada with each of her siblings being born in different provinces, which provided frequent and varied schooling situations with each move. Celeste was a professional fashion and advertising model in her early years, starting before she was six years old. She modeled for large companies, including Eaton’s with photos of her in shoes, and clothing being included in the ‘big stores’ catalogues, and sale posters. She attended university, was one of “Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s” campaign team known as the “Trudeau Girls” or “Action Girls” during the 1968 federal election campaign known as ‘Trudeaumania’, dressed in matching red and white striped dresses and deployed as a group to hand out campaign materials and stir up crowd excitement.
Celeste had multiple illnesses over several decades but that did NOT stop her being an active, community minded, supporter, volunteer, and artist. She was an accomplished fiber artist weaving, spinning, and dyeing wool, cotton and silk fabrics, and incorporated many and varied natural fibers, grass, bark, leather, etc, with wood, glass and metal to create colorful, unique, and pleasing works. She volunteered many hours every week sharing skills, and knowledge of weaving with the weaver’s guild, as well as teaching and mentoring. She very much-loved working with individuals of all ages, and taught various children’s art programs, as well as adults, and she especially loved teaching and sharing her many talents with individuals with special needs to weave. She traveled extensively throughout the world including Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Uk, and numerous Caribbean Islands, seeking beautiful and wondrous textiles to be used in her clothing designs sold through her business “Studio Celeste,” with many local citizens acquiring her “one of a kind” designs using “one of a kind” fabrics, as well as to many international fashion enthusiasts.
Celeste is a published poet; was selected by the Alberta Government to be an Alberta Ambassador participating in the International Association of Volunteer Effort Conference in the Netherlands. She modelled historical clothing as part of the redesignation ceremony renaming Lac Cardinal Provincial Park to Queen Elizabth Provincial Park during Queen Elizabeths onsite visit August 1, 1978, commemorating the royal tour of Alberta by Queen Elizabeth ll. Celeste was also honored by receiving recognition for her contribution to the arts by the Hon. Norman Kwong Lt. Governor of Alberta. She was a was a leader with Girl Guides of Canada providing leadership to participants in all guiding levels. She was an actress in local theatre productions in Peace River and Lethbridge. Celeste worked for many years with Southern Alberta Community Living Association, as a resident house manager for women with special needs living together; she Chaired the Peace Winter Games, and she Chaired Special Olympics Lethbridge for nigh on 15 years ensuring individuals with special and intellectual needs had the opportunity to engage, participate and learn in the sport(s) of their choice. She also was on the Board of Special Olympics Alberta, and L’Arche Lethbridge another world-wide affiliated humanitarian organization which “provides an opportunity for people from around the world with and without developmental disabilities to share, live, work and learn together, and she was a very active parishioner and member of SOCA Save Our Churches Association)”
Celeste started preschool programs in the north, and fostered Northland School Division teen aged students from the extreme north to attend high school in larger rural centers. Celeste was key in providing epicurean delights in Northern Alberta through her business “The Catered Affair” providing the best of big city dining experiences in northern rural Alberta Communities via providing catered intimate breakfast meals for two, to full-on Viennese banquets for 1500 guests, as well as catered meals at functions for all sized groups in between whether a school board meeting, service group weekly membership meetings, conferences and contract signings.
A busy lady committed to volunteering, community engagement and inclusion.
Celeste’s family is planning to hold a “Celebration of Life” in Lethbridge in “SPRING 2027”. Please, if you would like to express your interest to attending and joining with Celest’s family and friends to share and celebrate together, please send your interest (via email) to either of the contacts below:
John Pryde at FRFAM@TELUS.NET or Text to 403 894-9567, or to
Laurel Pryde at PRYDE>INTERPRETING@GMAIL.COM
*** In memory of Celeste, should anyone desire (in lieu of flowers) please consider a donation to be made to:
All Saints Parish (ST. Patrick’s Modernization Fund)
2405 -12 Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 0M4***