Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Maurice Boucher, US Army (Ret.), known to family and friends as “Mun”, 88, of Laconia, NH died on August 9, 2019 at Concord Hospital. Born on May 21, 1931 in Milan, NH, the son of the late Edward and Dora (Laflamme) Boucher. He attended Milan schools, St. Patrick’s in Berlin, and was a 1949 graduate of Berlin High School. He entered the US Air Force in June 1949 and served during the Korean War in a Special Atomic Weapons Squadron. He was honorably discharged after three and a half years as a Technical Sergeant in December 1952, returned to Berlin, trained under the GI Bill and became a journeyman carpenter. After receiving his Commission, he was member of the NH National Guard from 1956 to 1961 and served with units in Berlin, Lancaster, Somersworth, Dover, Portsmouth and as a Staff Member of the NH Military Academy in Concord. He was recalled to active duty with the US Army in June 1961 and remained on active duty until his retirement as a Lt. Col. In May 1977.
Highlights of his military career include being the recipient of the outstanding Hawk Missile Battery Commanding Officer’s trophy on three occasions while stationed in Germany (1962-65). He was a member of General Westmoreland’s staff at the Military Assistance Command HQ (MACV) in Saigon, Vietnam (1966-77). He had a special assignment in the Pentagon, Washington, DC where he served as the daily personal Military Intelligence Briefer to the Secretary of the Army, the Army Chief of Staff, the Army Vice Chief of Staff, and several other senior General Officers on the Army Staff in the Pentagon (1967-69). He was a graduate of the prestigious US Army’s Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, KS in 1970. He then served on the staff of the US Army Vietnam HQ (USARV) in Long Bien, Vietnam (1970-71) during his second tour of duty there. Returning to Washington, DC in 1971 he then commanded the largest US Army Special Security Detachment in the US until 1974 when he was assigned to the Alaskan Command’s Intelligence Division (1975-75). In 1975 he was assigned to the Combat Developments Command and served as the Senior Army Military Intelligence Officer in Alaska until his retirement as a Lt. Col. In May 1977. He served in Field Artillery Units, Air Defense Units and served as a Military Intelligence Officer for the last 14 years of his career. Most of these years were in Counter-Intelligence assignments and as a Strategic and Tactical Intelligence Analyst.
He was decorated seven times for exceptional meritorious service, including two awards of the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Medal
He moved to Laconia, NH in 1977 and was employed by Allen-Rogers Corp. for 5 years as their Production Control Manager, by the Laconia Malleable Iron Foundry for 4 years as their Production Control Manager, and by the Margate Resort for 8 years as their Superintendent of Maintenance until his second retirement in December 1995. He was a member of the American Legion, Wilkins Smith Post No. 1 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1670 in Laconia, NH. He was past president of both the Military Ski Club and the Military Snowmobile Club in Anchorage, AK and was active in Boy Scouts for many years. He was a wonderful, social, witty man, who loved his family very much.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Shirley (Goyette) Boucher of Laconia, NH; two daughters, Debra LaPierre and Kathy Nyman both of Tilton, NH; one son, Alan Boucher and wife Melissa of Winchester, NH; 3 grandchildren Lucas Nyman of Brighton, MA, Kayly Nyman and partner Chris Wendelboe of Ashland, NH, and Adam LaPierre of Tilton, NH; one great-granddaughter Eleanor Wendelboe of Ashland, NH. He is also survived by a sister Louise (Boucher) Durant of Arcadia, FL. He was predeceased by his parents Pete and Dora Boucher, a brother Ernest Boucher, and by two sisters Pearl Fysh and Lorraine Harriman.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, August 16, 2019 at 10am at St. Anne Church of Good Shepherd Parish, Berlin, followed by burial in St. Kieran Cemetery. Calling hours will be held on Thursday from 2-4pm and 6-8pm at Bryant Funeral Home, Berlin. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his memory to the Community Wellness Center, 22 Strafford Street, Laconia, NH 03246. Online guestbook at www.bryantfuneralhome.net