Shan Michelle Toussaint

Shan Michelle Toussaint
“Peace, Love, Happiness, and a Big Blue Sky” Shan Michelle Mercer Toussaint passed on July 14, 2016 at the age of 62. She was born on December 14, 1953 to Billie and Gem Mercer in Missoula, MT. Her spirit was never intended for a body that grew old. She continues to live in her 2 children, 2 beloved grandchildren, husband, mother, family, extended family and friends from every walk of life.
Shan grew up in Missoula, 5th in a family of 7 children. She was proud to have attended almost every school in Missoula, and graduated early from Polson High School in 1970. As a young woman she found joy in her art, climbing abilities, music, and guitar; fostering interminable crushes on Jimmy Page and John Lennon. She loved water skiing, bonfires and dancing; there are countless stories about her pony Cocoa, her motorcycles, and her best friends Stephanie and Patty.
Her energy was infectious. She was smart, beautiful, strong, quirky, vibrant, stubborn and sarcastically witty. Her home was in Missoula, on Flathead Lake, Palm Springs and later in Florence, MT. She attended the University of Montana, and modeled in Mademoiselle Magazine. At 19 she attended College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA where she met a 17 year old boy, Dennis Harper Toussaint. Amused by his ability to skip school, make her laugh and catch flies in science class; he lied about his age to secure a first date. They married in Polson, MT July 14, 1979. She went on to graduate from beauty school, and worked full time in this profession at the Hen Haus in Missoula, MT.
Together they had two children Leslie Michelle and Gem Harper, and Shan’s career focused toward raising her family. She was a classroom mom, reading volunteer, breakfast club volunteer and organizer of swish swash. She packed lunches with mom notes, built forts out of refrigerator boxes, dried tears, and shuttled kids to and from activities where she was the loudest one cheering. She helped with homework, always showed up to school with forgotten assignments, and made snuggle beds in the bathroom during illness.
She helped her family, and she helped other people around her. It didn’t matter if you needed to burn it, rake it, plant it, move it or shovel it. She would organize it, and whatever was left over would wind up in a plastic tote with a duct tape label. There was never a rock so big it couldn’t be lifted or a doorway too narrow for oversized furniture.
The last six years brought her joy as “Grandma”. Through James and Cora she found endless energy to catch bugs, make pancakes, ride bikes, and raise farm chickens and ponies. It’s impossible to count how many Thomas the Train crashes she helped orchestrate, or how many times she could name the planets. Each effort was given like it was the first time, wholly, and with so much love.
Shan carried fierceness for her family she regularly told us would rival a “mama grizzly bear”. She was right. We will forever miss her shield of love and protection.
Shan is survived by her husband of 37 years Dennis Toussaint of Florence, children Leslie Toussaint Weyh of Missoula and Gem Toussaint of Whitefish, beautiful grandchildren James and Cora Weyh of Missoula, and her mother Billie Mercer of Polson and Florence. She will be greatly missed in the lives of her extended family, and many friends. She lived, and she was loved.
Shan is preceded in death by her brother Michael Mercer.
In lieu of flowers please honor her by donating to Watson Children’s Shelter for the betterment of children in crisis. A celebration of her life will take place August 20th at her home in Florence.
Cremation is under the care of Garden City Funeral Home & Crematory.