Siblings Cecile & Eugene Restiaux have lots of stories to tell about their family, including tales about their mother, committed to a sanatorium after contracting tuberculosis at the age of 10.
"When they went in and collapsed her lung, they hit her vocal cords," says Cecile Restiaux. "They paralyzed her vocal cords, so she always spoke like she had laryngitis."
They also have stories about their father, and grandfather. But of Uncle Joe Gagnon, who went off to war in the 1940's, there were very few stories to share.
In fact, if you ask Eugene Restiaux, "I had no idea! I never knew Joe existed."
And he might never have, were it not for a lucky find in a forgotten corner of a Toronto home.
In the early 1960's a Second World War era helmet was found in the basement of the Di Cecco family home. No one really knew how it got there, or whose it was.
The only clue was a name on the strap, J.E. Gagnon.
"Iwas just genuinely curious," said Phillip Di Cecco. "I was probably 16 or 17 at the time, and I just wanted to learn a little more about it."
And so Phillip Di Cecco, who inherited the helmet from his grandparents, got to work. He searched a military database and posted a picture of the helmet on Facebook this past Remembrance Day.
And that is how he eventually ended up connecting with the Restiaux family.
READ MORE: Toronto man searching for family of Second World War soldier from Winnipeg receives reply
"It was such a shot in the dark trying to actually contact anyone," marveled Di Cecco. "So to have it at this point is pretty incredible."
It’s incredible too for the Restiaux family.
"It’s almost like somebody's calling me from the dead," said Cecile Restiaux.
Forgotten no longer, Uncle Joe Gagnon and his long lost helmet can now become another wonderful story to add to the family lore.
As for the helmet, the Restiaux family still isn't certain how it ended up in Toronto. They suspect another Uncle may have left it there accidentally.
They hope it can be added to a museum’s collection.
