Leroy Joseph "Roy" Bourne
... WWII Veteran, United States Postal Service; 85
TEWKSBURY - Leroy Joseph "Roy" Bourne, age 85, a WWII veteran and retired United States Postal Service employee, died Thursday morning, April 26, at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington after a long period of declining health. He was the husband of Thelma Isabelle (Ramey) Bourne, with whom he had recently celebrated a 63rd wedding anniversary.
He was born in Boston, on July 24, 1921, a son of the late Herbert and Josephine (McCullough) Bourne. He grew up in Somerville, and graduated from Somerville High School. He had lived the greater part of his life in Tewksbury.
During WWII he served in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on Guadalcanal. During his enlistment, upon his return to the U.S. from Asia, he married his high school sweetheart Thelma on January 29, 1944. He was discharged September 16, 1944, due to disability. He was a life-member of the Disabled American Veterans, Post 110 in Tewksbury, and kept in touch throughout his life with his Army buddies through his life-membership in the Americal Division Veteran's Association
Prior to retirement, he was employed by the United States Postal Service at the South Postal Annex in Boston.
Besides his wife, he is survived by three sons and two daughters-in-law, Roy Joseph Bourne of Tewksbury, Paul Herbert Bourne and his wife Evelyn Bourne of Yukon, OK, H. Edward Bourne and his wife Amy Bourne of Alamogordo, NM; a son-in-law, Gerald Gloddy of Beverly Hills, FL; a daughter-in-law, Candide (Quinn) Martell of Tewksbury; nine grandchildren; thirteen great grandchildren; two sisters, Marjorie Strampe of Omaha, NE, and Beverly Loadwick of Somerville; two sisters-in-law, Betty Ramey and Barbara Ramey both of Somerville and many nieces and nephews.
He was also father of the late Margaret Alice (Bourne) Gloddy, Thelma Marie (Bourne) Martell; father-in-law of the late Gary Richard Martell; and brother of the late Leslie Bourne, Herbert Bourne, and Josephine Cumings.
His Funeral Mass was celebrated Tuesday, May 1, in St. William's Church, Tewksbury. Burial with Army Honors was in Tewksbury cemetery. Memorials to American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701, or the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Assn., 1900 Northwest Expressway, Suite R-325, Oklahoma City, OK, 73118, will be appreciated.