Joseph W. Fortin, a longtime resident of Natick, passed away on October 30, 2010. He was 88 years old.
Born in Grand Isle, Maine the son of the late Louis Fortin and Olive (Madore), Joe was raised in Lille, Maine. He served during World War II in the U. S. Army with the 2074th QM Corp of the 63rd Service Group in Japan, New Guinea, the Southern Philippines, and Luzon. Joe was a recipient of the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Theater Campaign Ribbon, the American Theater Ribbon and the Victory Medal. Upon being honorably discharged in 1945, Joe became a truck driver for the Lime Stone Air Base in Caribou, Maine until he re-enlisted in the Army in 1948 serving until 1952. A longtime resident of Natick, Joe was a well known self-employed painter who was a member of the Natick American Legion Post 107, the Natick VFW Post 1274, and the Natick AMVETS Post 79. A true outdoors enthusiast, Joe enjoyed hunting, fishing, and gardening.
Joe was the father of Louise Steward and her husband Doug of High Point, N.C., Lena Rogers and her husband Steve of Bellingham, Lydia Taylor of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Alice Schaefer and her husband Dyrick of Ashland; grandfather of Brandon, Jodi Lyn, Samantha, John, and Amanda; and brother of Omer Fortin of Florida. He is also survived by his Grand-pup"LK", his former spouse Marguerite (Gauthier) Burns, and many nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend Joe's funeral from the John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park St. (at Natick Common) NATICK on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010 at 9 a.m., to be followed by his Mass of Christian Burial in St.Patrick's Church, Natick, at 10 a.m. Burial will take place in the MA National Cemetery, Bourne at 1:30 p.m. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010, from 4-7 p.m.
Due to the limitation of flowers at the cemetery, Joe's family requests that donations in his memory be made to Metro West Home Care & Hospice, 85 Lincoln St. Framingham, MA 01702.