Roger W. Gaudreau, 86, of New Bedford, died peacefully on Wednesday May 13, 2015, at Sacred Heart Home surrounded by his loving family, to whom he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was the husband of the late Pauline (Wilson) Gaudreau to whom he was married for 56 years and the late Jeannette (Meny) Gaudreau to whom he was married for seven years.
Born in Cambridge to Alfred and Alma Gaudreau, Roger lived in New Bedford and Acushnet most of his life. He was a graduate of New Bedford Vocational High School.
During the Korean Conflict, he served his country as a flight mechanic in the U.S. Air Force for three years.
Roger spent most of his professional career as a sales executive, first at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, where he met wife Pauline, and then at the New Bedford Standard Times, from which he retired in 1996. In retirement, Roger pursued his passion for photography and sailing, enjoying both frequently in and around the coastal Cape Cod region. Roger and Pauline traveled extensively and enjoyed wintering annually in Naples, FL. No matter how far they traveled, Roger’s favorite place to be was wherever his family was.
He is the father of Carol McIntyre and her husband Mark of Nashua, NH, Joseph Gaudreau and his wife Patricia Galvin of Warren, RI, David Gaudreau and his wife Roberta of Brewster, NY, Susan Gaudreau and her fiancée Alison St. Laurent of New Bedford, Louise Weigel and her husband Albert of Rochester,and Paul Gaudreau and his wife Patricia of Dartmouth.
He is also the proud grandfather of James and his wife Elizabeth, Jonathan and his wife Christine, Erin,Bryce and his fiancée Olivia, Nicholas, Patrick, Katelyn, Chase, Jordan, and Max. He also recently became the great-grandfather of Cordelia.
He is the brother of Gloria Levesque of New Hampshire, and the late Paul Gaudreau, George Gaudreau, and JoAnn Zuckerman.
The family would like to especially thank the nursing and support staff at Sacred Heart Nursing Home for their care and dedication to our dad.
His Funeral will be held on Friday at 9 AM from the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford, followed by his Funeral Mass at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church at 10 AM. Visiting hours will be on Thursday from 5-7 PM. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.