Marcel J. Desrochers age 86, of Salem, NH, lovingly known as Dad, Pappy or Frenchy, passed away in the early morning of Oct 18, 2012 after battling cancer.
Born on December 11, 1925 in Halluin, France, he was the son of the late Alfred and Celina (Viane) Desrochers. He was educated in France during WWII and loved to share many stories about the enemy occupation of his homeland. It was there, in France where he met and married his beloved wife of 51 years, the late Jeanne (Verschaeve) Desrochers. Marcel loved to have a good time, was always on the go and always looking for a good laugh.
He brought his family to America in 1957, lived in Lawrence and became an American citizen on November 8, 1963. He worked at various local manufacturing and window installation businesses until he retired at age 67. He and Jeanne spent the next several years wintering in Florida, until they moved there year-round, in 1996. It was in Florida that he developed a real love for fishing and whenever he came back up north, he loved to spend time fishing with his family. Always game for anything, he learned to canoe, kayak and even went horseback riding, well into his late seventies and early eighties.
Pappy will be sadly missed by his loving daughter, Nadine and her husband Herbert Harty of Pelham, his four grandchildren, Eric Harty of Andover MA, Andrea and her husband Gregory Holt of Dracut MA, Laura and her husband Gregori Gregoriadis of Sharon, MA and Monica and her husband Gregg of Groveland MA, as well as his eight great-grandchildren and many friends.
Calling hours will be Monday, Oct. 22nd from 9-10:45AM at the Douglas & Johnson Funeral Home, 214 Main St, Salem, NH. A funeral Mass will follow at 11:30 AM at St. Patrick Church, Pelham, NH. Cremation will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 or Joslin Diabetes Center, 1 Joslin Pl, Boston, MA 02215