Rose Marie Boucher Roy

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Rose Marie Boucher Roy who, after six years of living with ovarian cancer and its difficult treatments, passed away on October 15, 2024 at the Cates House in Ocala, Florida. 

She was a devoted mother, wife, loving daughter, sister, and friend. Rose Marie always considered the needs of others before her own. She was always eager to help her family and friends. At the age of fifteen, she left home, moved to Connecticut and got a job in a dress factory so that she could send money home to her parents and younger siblings. Throughout her life, family and friends benefitted from her help, loving care and common-sense advice.

On August 17, 1968, Rose Marie married Ken Roy at the Cathedral of St Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut. They first lived in Petersburg, Virginia when Ken was stationed at Fort Lee and would often put a dollar’s worth of gas in the car on the weekend and go explore the historical sites in Williamsburg, Virginia. Gas was 31 cents a gallon back then. 

Their daughter Sharon was born the day Ken left to serve in Vietnam. Rose Marie was so happy that Sharon got to see her dad before he left. That year, Rose Marie lived with her sister Marie in Middletown, CT and later with her sister Jean in Vint Hills Farm, Virginia. When Ken returned from Vietnam, they lived in Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York where Rose Marie and Ken made lifelong friends while working in a joint service assignment at the old Brooklyn Army Terminal. 

After Ken left the service, they lived in North Andover, MA while Ken worked for Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in Boston. When Ken went for training in Dallas with EDS, Rose Marie and Sharon lived with Claude and Betty Roy in Bristol, CT. They then moved to Columbus, Ohio where Rose Marie gave birth to their son, Steven. They later moved to Plano, Texas expecting to be there for two years and stayed 39 years, making life-long friends as they raised their family. They enjoyed traveling back to Northern Maine every summer to visit family. After Steven and Sharon were grown, Rose Marie and Ken moved to Ocala to be close to family and to travel back to Maine. Rose Marie was happily married to Ken for 56 years. He took amazing care of her during her illness. 

For both her family and friends, she served as a role model for living a life of positivity, gratitude, humor, joy and love. Even when she was in terrible pain, she never complained and always found things to be grateful for, to look forward to, and to laugh about. 

She was always a hard worker. As a teenager, she consistently picked over a hundred barrels of potatoes a day at 25 cents a barrel. That $25 a day greatly helped her family in the 1950s. Throughout her life, she enjoyed reading, crafting, antiquing, sewing, shopping and spending time with her family and friends. She took pride in decorating her home and keeping it immaculately clean. She loved to have friends and family over for dinners and parties. Her guests marveled at her decorations and homemade baked goods. 

We are grateful for all the nursing care she received both at Cates House and Bridgewater Park Assisted Living these last four months. We are also appreciative of all the family visits and help.

Born in Fort Kent, Maine, Rose Marie was the daughter of Albert Boucher (13 Nov 1904-13 Jul 1985) and Melvina Desjardins (5 Sep 1909-19 Apr 1988). 

She was preceded in death by her siblings, Rena Mae (13 Jan 1930-20 Aug 2022) and brother-in-law Roger Bourgoin (15 Oct 1925-14 Jul 2015), Rita (25 Feb 1931-3 Jun 2021) and brother-in-law Lucien Shaw (2 Nov 1926-22 Apr 2002), Joel (12 Dec 1932-20 Jul 2006), Norman (26 Sep 1934-26 Jan 2015), Marie Ange (21 Oct 1939-12 Nov 2021) and brother-in-law Patrick Labbé (14 Feb 1937-20 Jul 2013), and Carroll (21 Jan 1943-16 Mar 1943). 

She was also predeceased by brothers-in-law Jeff Saucier (25 Sep 1948-7 Nov 1980), Eric “Buddy” White (19 Sep 1932-20 Jul 2003), Andrew Jackson (31 Dec 1935-12 Mar 2015), Joe Jordan (16 Dec 1940-12 Jul 2016), Gary Fillio (1 Jul 1947-14 Aug 2015), and Jim Michaud (24 Dec 1945-8 Jul 2018). 

She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Ken Roy, formerly of Upper Frenchville, Maine and Plano, Texas, now living in Ocala, Florida, and their children Sharon Roy and her husband Adam Sheehan, Steven Roy and grandchildren Samuel, Georgia, and Isaac all from Austin, TX. 

She is also survived by her siblings, Theresa White of Cromwell, CT, Jean Jackson of Weathersfield, CT, Iris Fillio of Ocala, FL, Greta Jordan of Weathersfield, CT, Phil Boucher of Fort Kent, ME and Ocala, FL and his wife Wanda, Linda Michaud of Thomaston, CT and Wallagrass, ME, and Mary (Saucier) and her husband Fred Burgos of Thomaston, CT. 

She is also survived by brother-in-law Claude Roy and his wife Betty of Ocala, FL, Phil Morneault and his wife Barbara Bourgoin of Vernon, CT and was predeceased by sister-in-law, Margaret Morneault (6 May 1950-26 Mar 2022) and her husband Ray Mahar (16 Mar 1944-28 Mar 2008). 

Rose Marie is survived by several nieces and nephews who all had a special place in her heart. When Ken and Rose Marie vacationed in New England traveling from Texas, she always spent time with the little ones. Her unique ability to make children feel heard, understood, and special, impacted the lives of many. She was a gifted storyteller and the kids always begged her for another Harold story to which they listened in fascination. Rose Marie was preceded in death by her nephews, David Jackson and John Morneault, nieces, Sandra Bourgoin and Michele Labbé, great-nephew Adam Bourgoin, and great-niece, Alyssa Ahumada.

Christmas was always an important season for Rose Marie who enjoyed decorating for the holidays. She filled many beautiful Christmas trees with her handmade ornaments, paper dolls, gingerbread, cookie cutters and antique ornaments. During her last month at Bridgewater Park assisted living she had decorated her angel tree, filled with angels 

she made from handkerchiefs. This year, Rose Marie will be celebrating Christmas in heaven with the angels and her heavenly family. 

Till we meet again, we will miss you, love you, and remember what you taught us about living a happy, grateful life, helping others. 

Rose Marie’s final resting place will be in our columbarium on Maxime Roy’s Family lot in the Ste Luce Cemetery on US Route 1 in Frenchville, Maine. 

In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a donation in memory of Rose Marie, please consider Hospice of Marion County where she received excellent care. You can donate online at https://hospiceofmarion.org/donate/. Or you can donate by mail by sending a check or money order to: 

Hospice of Marion County 

PO Box 4860 

Ocala, FL 34478-4860