Robert Nelson Plourde
...of Tewksbury, formerly of Billerica; 84
TEWKSBURY - Robert Nelson “Bob” Plourde, 84, a retired Raytheon sheet metalmechanic, died after a short illness, at Lowell General Hospital on Friday morning, Dec. 5.He was the husband of Evelyn “Evie” (Keough) Plourde, with whom he had celebrated61 years of marriage on Sept. 6th.
He was Born in 1919, a son of the late Joseph Nelson and Mary Cecilia (Walsh) Plourde.
He was raised in Billerica, and had lived in Tewksbury since 1950. He graduated fromthe Howe High School, in the class of 1938, where he was a member of the track team. He remained an active member of the Howe H.S. Alumni Committee, and had attended allreunions including one held last summer. As a boy, he worked at Farmer’s farm inBillerica, and later Steven’s market at Silver Lake in Wilmington before joining the Navy.
During WWII, he served stateside in Jacksonville, Fla, in aircraft manufacturing.Upon discharge from the Navy, he was employed at the Wilmington Airport and thenworked for Raytheon Corporation in Bedford, for 34 years as a sheet metal mechanic.Since retirement, he had worked part time for Brewsters Lumber Company inWilmington, and most recently, as caretaker and maintenance person at St. Dorothy’sChurch in Wilmington.
He was a member of the Tewksbury Knights of Columbus, Fr.Coppen’s Council 4336. He was also a member of the Tewksbury Golden Age Club, andwas a frequent visitor to the Tewksbury Sr. Drop-In Center.
He was an active member, and daily communicant, of the St. Dorothy Church community.He enjoyed church activities, gardening, taking walks, and primarily, family gatherings,and was affectionately called “Grampy.”
Besides his wife he leaves his children, Dotty and her husband Jack Bowen of Billerica,Bob and his wife Linda Shummer-Plourde of Doraville GA, Tom and his wife Terry(Bisson) Plourde of Mt. Vernon, NH, Leo and his wife Mary (Jones) Plourde of Derry,NH, Betty and her husband Gerard McGrath of Tewksbury, Debbie and her husband Dan Desmond of Nashua, NH, and Rosemary and her husband Philip Harcourt of Uxbridge.He was also grandfather of Katie (Bowen) and Jim Maniscalco of Lowell, Sean and NadiaHardy of Litchfield, NH, John and Tasha Bowen of CO, Jean ( Plourde) and Dave Cahoonof Antrim, NH, Patrick and Maureen Harcourt of CO, Tim, Cindy, and Rob Desmond ofNashua, NH, Jed McGrath of Tewksbury, Chris and Dan Harcourt of Uxbridge, Luke,Kevin, and Mary Bowen of Billerica, Catherine and Liz Plourde of Nashua, NH, Sarah andNiles Plourde of GA, and Tom Plourde of Mt. Vernon, NH; great grandfather of Taliaand Brianna Hardy, Abby and Duncan Cahoon, Hannah and Keagan Bowen, and JamesManiscalco. He also leaves two sisters and brothers-in-law, Mary and her husband JohnWholey of Newmarket, NH, Irene and her husband Bill Collins of New York, formerly ofHarwichport; a sister-in law, Rosella Dean, of Tewksbury. He leaves numerous nieces,nephews and cousins, in particular, Ellen, Jackie, and Cathy Dean of Tewksbury. He was also the brother of the late George, Leo, and Joseph “Ray” Plourde; and brother-in-law of the late Edward Dean, Melvin Keough, and Alexander Keough.
His Funeral Mass was held Tuesday, Dec. 9, in St. Dorothy’s Church. Intermentwith Navy Honors was held in Tewksbury Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Dorothy’sChurch, 11 Harndon St. Wilmington, MA 01887 will be appreciated.