Roger H. “Digger” Fournier 94, of 400 Mendon Rd., formerly of Summit Ave., passed away peacefully on Tuesday at Landmark Medical Center. He was the loving husband of Marguerite (Blanchet) Fournier for sixty one years. Born in Woonsocket, he was the son of the late Hector and Mabel (Dumas) Fournier.
Roger graduated from Woonsocket High School in 1936 and from Providence College in 1940 with a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Med. He then went on to attend the University of Montreal for two years majoring in Medicine and French
before being drafted into the Army in1942.
He was a medic with the 30th Depot Repair Squadron, 30th ADG, in this country and then in Europe for 30 months. He was Honorably Discharged on January 4, 1946. He returned to the University of Montreal in 1947 for one year and then decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, Hector L. Fournier and attended N E Institute of Anatomy and Embalming in Boston, graduating in 1948. He worked for the family’s funeral home, Fournier & Fournier for forty seven years before retiring in 1994. Roger was a member of the Woonsocket Lion’s Club for over 61 years, and achieved perfect attendance for fifty years. He was honored as the 1982-1983 Lion of the Year. Roger was a member of the Woonsocket Lodge of Elks for sixty four years, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #9 for over sixty three years, and the Belhumeur-Duhamel Post American Legion. He and his wife were founding members of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church.
Besides his wife he leaves two sons, Marc Fournier and Nan Conte of Andover MA, Jim Fournier and his wife Doreen of Danielson, CT, three daughters, Susan Cronin and her husband Chip of Wrentham, MA, Nancy Fournier and her husband Kim Levitch of Shelburne, MA and Louise Perry and her husband David of N. Truro, MA, and former daughter-in-law, Roberta Potter of Turners Falls, twelve grandchildren, Abigail, Jeremy (and Jenn), Brian (and Sarah), and Angela Fournier, Sean (and Beth) and Erin (and Steve) Cronin, Kellie (and Mike)Michel, Dan Levitch, Holly, Matt and Ben Wyen, and Michael Conte, and great-grandchildren, Emma, Alex, Brianna, Tommy, Lily, Aleigha, and Cole. He was also the brother of the late Yvette Tessier.
His funeral will be held Wednesday at 10:00 AM from the Fournier & Fournier Funeral Home, 99 Cumberland St., Woonsocket, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM in Our Lady Queen of Martyr’s Church, Park Ave. Woonsocket. Burial with Military Honors will be held in St. Jean Baptiste Cemetery. Visiting hours Tuesday 4-7 PM. In lieu of flowers donations to The Woonsocket Lions Club, P O Box 785 Woonsocket, RI 02895 in his memory would be appreciated.