Henry E. DeRoche
February 28, 1923 ~ June 28, 2013
PORTLAND and VENICE, FL - Henry E. DeRoche, 90, passed away on Friday June 28, 2013, after a brief battle with cancer. He was born one of nine children in Portland Feb, 28, 1923, to Joseph and Marie DeRoche. Henry was educated in Portland, graduating from Cheverus High School in 1941. He enlisted in the Marine Corp and served his country honorably in the Pacific Theater, discharged at the rank of Sergeant at the end of WWII. He married Therese C. Fortin in January 1946, and settled in Portland, raising three sons. He spent most of his career at S.D. Warren Paper Co. in Westbrook, ME. He was an accomplished carpenter, building his family home on Bradley St. in Portland and a summer cottage on Thomas Pond in S. Casco. Henry worked part time as a carpenter most of his life. He enjoyed time spent with family. He loved to hunt, fish, ski, play golf and go camping. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and was always ready to tell or listen to a good joke. He was also an avid NE Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan. After retirement in the late 80's, he became a "snow bird" and traveled to Venice FL each fall, returning to his beloved Maine each spring. In FL he and wife Terry made many friends in their community and on the golf course. His wife of 60 years Terry (aka Mimi) passed away in 2006. Henry is survived by his sister Doris Stickney, his three sons Edward and wife Diana of Hamilton, MA, Thomas and wife Adonlie of Portland, ME and William and wife Kathy of Westmoreland, NH. Henry (Gamps) was also loved by and very proud of his 7 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. An 11:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated September 14th at St. Pius X Church, 492 Ocean Ave., Portland. An informal gathering will follow in the Church Hall. The family looks forward to greeting his friends who can attend to celebrate the memory of Henry. Services entrusted to Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State St., Portland. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory can be made to your favorite charity or the Jimmy Fund/Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7295.Online condolences may be expressed below.
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We want to express our condolences to my cousins and their families on the loss of their father, Henry.He will be missed but never forgotten. Not only was he a special uncle to me but also a dear friend. Like everyone who knew him, his sense of humor is what I will remember the most. When I, along with a couple of his golfing buddies, visited him last April in Florida, he didn’t want to dwell on his health issues; but rather, he kept us all in stitches telling one joke after another. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and I think he did also. I’ve always admired Henry’s values and time he willingly committed to work, family and friends. A smart and talented individual with a good work ethic, he’d do whatever was necessary to provide for his family. A proud father and grandfather, he enjoyed his family and spent many memorable times in their lives. A friend to many, he treasured those relationships and good times as well. Our paths crossed several times over the years. Occasionally we’d bump into him and aunt Terri at Mt. Abrams or Sunday River enjoying a day of skiing, usually with family or friends. In later years we moved into the same condo association in Venice, Florida. We were drawn by the closeness and friendliness of the community Henry had chosen to be part of during his leisure years. I enjoyed many good times with him, often on the golf course listening to his unending array of jokes. These are only some of the many memories we will cherish of Henry; a special person in our lives.
– Wayne & Mary
I’m sorry to hear about Henry. All I can remember is a great sense of humor. Sue Bernier
– Suzanne Bernier
Ed Diana, Sorry for your loss; but expect that you are celebrating your Father’s wonderful life. I know that you spent a lot of time with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
– Tim & Dianne Mathieu
To the family of Uncle Henry, I am so sorry for your loss of such a great man. My father Ray Bernier shared with me his great memories of his uncle Henry and aunt Terri babysitting him when he was younger and how much he loved them and enjoyed his time with them. I think Uncle Henry let my dad drive his car when he was only 13 or 14 and I always was amazed at that. I know my dad thought that was pretty cool. I hope we can all carry on the legacy of that generation to our children. All my love Kristen
– Kristen Bernier