Rachel J. Buchala

Rachel J. Buchala, 79, of Sanford passed away on Thursday, August 24, 2023 at Summer Commons in Sanford. She was born on March 27, 1944 to the late Aram and Jacqueline (Gagne) L'Heureux in Sanford where she grew up and attended local schools. She was a member of the first graduating 8th grade class of the newly built Sanford Junior High School. She then went on to become a Certified Nursing Assistant and Med Tech. As a teenager she worked at local shoe shops. She was employed at local nursing homes, as a retail clerk at Goodwill Industries in Sanford, Dover, and Somersworth, NH. She also worked at various retail outlets and as a technician for a medical service company in Rochester, NH. She was a hard worker and liked to keep busy with 2 or 3 jobs. Rachel was a devout Catholic and communicant of St. Therese of Lisieux Parish, Holy Family Church in Sanford. She attended morning mass frequently and morning prayer with the Women's Prayer Group. Rachel was also a member of the VFW Women's Auxiliary and the Elks Lodge. She was an outgoing friendly, fun-loving person. During her life she enjoyed ice skating, dancing, riding on the back of her son Mark's snowmobile. She took sewing classes, kept flower and vegetable gardens, and loved to bake. She made beautiful cakes for family occasions. She also tried her hand at canning and making chocolates which she would share with family. She also liked playing practical jokes on people. Rachel also adored her beloved cat Mitzie and her Golden Lab Beau. Rachel was a lovely woman with many interests and hobbies and will be missed. She is predeceased by her husband Robert Buchala and a brother Bernard L'Heureux. Survivors include her brother Jerry L’Heureux and his wife Nancy of Alfred, her sons Mark Rouillard and his wife Kelly of North Berwick, Alan Rouillard of Springvale, and Kevin Leslie of Ossipee, NH, and grandchildren Nora Rouillard and Cody Leslie. A time of visitation will be held on Friday, September 1, 2023, from 9:00 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. at Carll-Heald & Black Funeral Home, 580 Main St., Springvale with a mass of Christian burial to be celebrated at 11:00 at St. Therese of Lisieux Parish, Holy Family Church, 66 North Ave. Sanford, with a burial following at the Southern Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Springvale. Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale. To leave a message of condolence click on Rachel's Remember Page.