Beverly: Gerard J. Deschene, age 91 of Beverly died Friday, September 10, 2010 at the Essex Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Beverly following a brief illness. He was the husband of the late Diana P. (Beaulieu) Deschene.
Born in Salem and raised in Lynn, he was the son of the late Paul and Clarida (Simard) Deschenes. A veteran of W.W. II, Gerard served stateside with the U.S. Army Air Corps Band. Following his tour of duty, he married Diana, and the couple settled in Salem where he worked as a chef for several restaurants in the greater Salem area. In his later years, he worked as a food supervisor for several local nursing homes.
Gerard had two other passions in life. His first was painting, for which he had studied in earlier years and a close second was the Boston Red Sox of which he was an avid fan.
He is survived by three sons, Kenneth T. of Peabody, Robert J. of Danvers and Richard P. of Ipswich, as well as thirteen grandchildren, Melissa A. Lacourte,Keith T. Deschene and Christi Lee Deschene all of Salem, Robert J. Deschene, Jr. & Michael J. Deschene both of Danvers, David A., Steven R. & Troy J. Deschene all of Newburyport, Danielle S. Deschene of Milwaukee, WI, Scott P. Deschene of Washington, Richard P., Jr., & Nicholas L. Deschene and Nicole M. Smith all of Florida. He is also survived by four great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son Gerard J. Deschene, Jr.
Relatives and friends are invited to gather at the Levesque Funeral Home, 163 Lafayette St. [Rt. 114 / 1-A] Salem on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 8 a.m., to be followed by his funeral mass in Ste. Anne Church, Jefferson Ave., Salem at 9 a.m. Visiting hours: Monday 4 to 8 p.m. Burial will be in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. For additional information, please visit www.LevesqueFunerals.com