Obituary

Elphège Ephrem Roy died on July 25, 2011at Catholic Medical Center, after a lengthy illness. He was born in Nashua, NH on January 30, 1921, son of Omer and Isabelle (Paquette) Roy. He was the youngest of twelve children. He lived in Nashua until 1929 and then moved to St. Nazaire, PQ, remaining in Canada until 1943. While in Canada, Mr. Roy completed his studies at Mont Sacré Coeur in Granby, PQ and received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Montreal in 1943. He attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, MD from 1943-45 and then attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. He also completed summer studies at the University of Vermont and Bowdoin College in 1961 and 1962, respectively, and at the University of Besançon in 1963. He received his Master’s Degree in French from Rivier College, Nashua, NH in 1965.

In 1947, he married Dorothy B. Lemire of Lowell, MA and celebrated 59 and a half years of marriage until her death in 2007. He is survived by his four children, Charlene M. Ouellette and Paul E. Roy of Manchester, NH, Robert L. Roy and his wife Coral Roy of Sanford, NC, and Claudette R. Dachowski and her husband, Robert J. Dachowski, Jr. of Hampton, NH. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, six great grandchildren, a sister, Lucienne Therriault, formerly of Nashua, NH, now residing in Manchester, NH, a sister-in-law, Rita Lemire of Lowell, MA, and many nieces and nephews.

From 1956-1958, Mr. Roy was a professional educator at Weare High School and from 1958-1960 at Manchester HS Central, teaching various courses in science and mathematics. From 1960-1972, he briefly taught Science and then became the chairman of the Foreign Language Dept., teaching French, at Manchester Memorial HS. In 1972, he became an assistant principal at Manchester HS Central until his retirement in 1981. Mr. Roy was also very involved teaching many summer institutes for Foreign Language teachers, and was also the Music History teacher/Choir Director for Magdalene College, formerly in Bedford, NH, for twelve years.

Mr. Roy’s second profession for 56 years was as a church organist and choir director, first at Sacred Heart Parish in Manchester, NH from 1948-1962 and 1974-1985, then at St. Raphael Parish from 1962-1974, from 1985-2002 at St. George Parish, and 2002-2004 at St. Hedwig Parish. His love of music and the pipe organ also led him to learn how to build/rebuild two pipe organs.

Other accomplishments during his lifetime include founding L’ Association des Professeurs Franco-Americains in 1963 and continuing as its president and director until 1973. He was also a past-president of the Manchester Teachers’ Guild and a member of the Manchester Retired Teachers Association. He was a member of the Richelieu Club, and a member of the Federal Commission on Bilingual Education from 1969-72. He was also a member and past dean of the NH Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Most notably, he was twice decorated by the Government of France (as a chevalier, and then officer) in the Order of Academic Palms for his contribution to/promotion of the French culture in New England.

After his retirement, Mr. Roy traveled with his wife, Dorothy, to Europe, the Caribbean islands, completed a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Irondale, AL, and most enjoyably across Canada on the Trans-Canada railway. He also traveled to the Holy Land and Egypt with his sister, Lucienne. His final trip was a pilgrimage to Fatima and Lourdes in 2008. He was an avid reader and loved learning about many subjects. He also loved Classical music, and was an accomplished composer, one major piece being “Mass, American Style (1969). He has been an avid hockey fan, especially of the Montreal Canadiens since his early youth, and more recently of the Pittsburgh Penguins.



A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Sacred Heart Church, 247 S. Main St., Manchester, NH on Friday, July 29, 2011. Burial followed in St. Augustin Cemetery, Manchester.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Sisters of Holy Cross at St. George Manor, 377 Island Pond Rd., Manchester, NH, 03109 or the VNA/ Hospice of Manchester and Southern NH, 33 So. Commercial St., Suite 401, Manchester, NH 03101.

Directions to Funeral Home