Jean Bernard Laurent died unexpectedly at the age of 72 on Feb. 22, 2015. Jean was born in Paris, France on June 21, 1942, and grew up in a neighborhood in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. He received the French equivalent of a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Paris and worked in the computer industry for most of his adult life in network marketing, the majority of those years for Honeywell-Bull. Throughout his life, Jean pursued interests in drawing, photography, sculpture, landscape design and classical music.
He came to live in the United States in 1979 to be near his three children from a first marriage and became a U.S. citizen in 2002. Jean met his wife Suzanne on Sept. 20, 1981, while they were both walking in the Boston Public Gardens. They wed on Sept. 26, 1985 and resided in Boston, Mass., until the birth of their son, Jean-Luc Laurent in 1987. He and Suzanne have been residents of New Hampshire, in Derry, Windham, and most recently in Portsmouth. After retirement, Jean pursued a diploma degree in landscape design at the Thompson School at the University of New Hampshire. He loved nature and spending time in the woods creating natural landscape designs. After moving to Portsmouth, Jean volunteered at Strawbery Banke, the Seacoast Science Center and the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. Jean was actively involved with the Portsmouth Planning Department.
Family was everything to Jean. In addition to his wife Suzanne and Jean-Luc of Los Angeles, Calif., he leaves his daughter, Lise L. Laurent of Long Island City, N.Y., and two sons, Sebastien O.H. Laurent and his wife Peggy of Avignon, France, and Thierry A. Laurent of Brooklyn, N.Y. He was predeceased by an infant daughter Chloe in 1993. He also leaves his sister, Dominique Duarte Miguel and her husband Gregorio of Agde, France, nephews Antoine and Julien Duarte, and one granddaughter, Clara Laurent. He will also be missed by his faithful dog, Kodak.
Following cremation a calling hour was held from 10:00 to 11:00 am on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch Street, Derry, NH. A funeral service followed at 11:00 am in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox.org (Parkinson’s Disease).