SPRINGFIELD - Roger J. Maurice, 91, a longtime resident of the East Forest Park section of Springfield, was Called Safely Home on Sunday, August 20, 2017. He passed into Eternal Life at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke surrounded by the care and comfort of his wonderful caregivers and his comrades-at-arms. He was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts on April 17, 1926, a beloved son of the late Eugene M. and Regina (St. Lawrence) Maurice and moved to Springfield in 1949. He served his country in the United States Army during World War II and attained the rank of Private First Class. He received the European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon with One Service Star and a Purple Heart Medal. Roger was employed for over 31 years as a Pressure Boiler Power Engineer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Safety and retired in 1988. Roger was a member of the Disabled American Veterans of Springfield and a member of the 99th Infantry Association of Pennsylvania. He was a longtime communicant of the former Saint Joseph Church in Springfield. Following the closing of his beloved church, he became a communicant of Saint Anthony Maronite Catholic Church in Springfield. He was predeceased by his beloved wife and best friend, Isabelle J. (Coiteux) Maurice who was Called Home on April 15, 2006. They were married on June 5, 1954 at the former Saint Joseph Church in Springfield and were blessed with over 51 years of happiness together. Besides his parents and wife, he was also predeceased by his two dear brothers, Emile Maurice and Edgar Maurice; his dear sister, Annette Vedder; and his dear brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Louis Philippe Coiteux and his wife, Lorraine D. (Croteau) Coiteux. He leaves his dear brother, Ronald Maurice and his wife, Carol; his dear sister-in-law, Marian Maurice; his cherished friend, Marie Alice Lavallee of Springfield; and his many dear nephews, nieces, cousins, friends and extended members of the Maurice and Coiteux families. His funeral will be held on Saturday morning, August 26, 2017 beginning at the St. Pierre - Phaneuf Springfield Chapels, (413-737-1177), 7 Chapin Terrace, Springfield, MA 01107, (funeral home will open at 8:30 a.m.), followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. in Saint Anthony Maronite Catholic Church, 375 Island Pond Road, Springfield, MA 01118. His burial with U.S. Army Military Honors will follow the Mass at Saint Michael Cemetery, 1601 State Street, Springfield, MA 01109. His family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday morning, August 26, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. before the Mass. Memorial donations may be made in his memory to the Friends of the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, Inc., PO Box 1338, Holyoke, MA 01041-1338. For more details, please visit:www.stpierrephaneuf.com
