When Allison Boisvert started a job leading social justice programming at a Catholic church in Eden Prairie, she took up a new practice: leading church members on tours of impoverished neighborhoods around the Twin Cities.
She had tried to retire, but it hadn't lasted long. After more than 20 years with Catholic Charities, retirement was, in a word, boring. So after just a few months, she picked herself up and got the new job.
"It was really influential for both parties," said her oldest son, Patrick McMonigal. "She loved it because she loved teaching, and they loved it because it opened their eyes to the world around them."
Boisvert, who was known for her sense of humor, fierce honesty and devotion to social justice, died June 28 after a four-year battle with cancer. She was 72.
Allison Claire Boisvert was raised in Grand Marais, Minn., and had a turbulent upbringing. As a teenager, she ran away from home, experimented with drugs and spent some time in jail.
As a young woman she had a daughter and two sons, and after their father left she worked two or three jobs to make ends meet. The experience affected how she approached social services work later in life.
"She knew what it felt like to be on the other end of that," said her sister, Jeri Boisvert.
At 28, Boisvert earned her GED. She went on to get an entry-level case manager job with Catholic Charities and eventually worked her way up to lead its housing and emergency services division. She grew the organization's services for people experiencing homelessness, "creating the solution for people that nobody thought to create solutions for," said Tracy Berglund, senior director of housing stability.