Rev. Anthony Peloquin, OFM, 82, of San Diego, California, died Thursday, July 12, 2012 at his home in San Diego. He was a Franciscan priest of the Washington D.C. province.
Born Roland Peloquin, he was raised in Woonsocket and was a son of the late Clovis and Juliette (Paul-hus) Peloquin.
He attended Mount St. Charles Academy and entered the novitiate in Cincinnati, Ohio at St. Anthony Shrine on August 15, 1950. He made his Simple Vows on August 15, 1951, Final Solemn Vows on August 15, 1953, and was ordained a priest on May 25, 1958.
Rev. Peloquin was first assigned to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem for his first year as a priest. He then transferred to the Franciscan monastery in Washington D.C. and served there from 1959-1961. While in Washington Fr. Anthony began what would become a major aspect of his priestly ministry, serving as a chaplain to members of the Armed Forces, starting as chaplain at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for two years.
He then joined the Navy and attended officer candidate school in Newport in 1960.
From 1961 to 1988 Rev. Peloquin served as a United States Navy Chaplain. During Vietnam he was stationed with the 7th Fleet off the coast of Vietnam as a chaplain to the Sailors and Marines assigned to that theatre. He later served as a chaplain at the VA hospital in Long Island and then at the VA hospital in Long Beach, CA.
He retired from active service in 1988 with the rank of Captain.
Rev. Peloquin also earned a graduate degree in Sociology and taught at Fairfield University.
Rev. Peloquin retired to San Diego and in 2008 he celebrated his Golden Jubilee in the priesthood with his confreres at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston.
He is survived by a brother Roger N. Peloquin of Boston and cousins Claire Fortier, Therese Peloquin, Irene Campenalla, Claire Bourget, and Armand Peloquin.
A concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday at 11:00 am in St. James Church, 33 Division St,. Manville. Burial with military honors will follow in St. James Cemetery, Manville.
Rev. Peloquin will lie in repose at the Menard-Lacouture Funeral Home, 71 Central St., Manville where his family will receive visitors Saturday from 9:30-10:30 am prior to Mass.
www.menardfuneralhome.com