Edwin P. DesRosiers, 94, a resident of West Lebanon and formerly of Moodus, CT, died at his home on July 16, 2017 after a full life, with his wife of 68 years and his youngest son by his side.
He was born October 15, 1922 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the son of Romulus Leopold DesRosiers and Lena Gregoire of Spencer, Massachusetts. He attended Leicester Academy and Leicester Junior College. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a member of the Fourth Marine Division, participating in the invasions of Roi-Namur in the Marshall Islands, Saipan and Tinian in the Marianas Islands and Iwo Jima. After the war, he continued his education at Boston University where he met Kathleen Berner of Connecticut. They were married on June 11, 1949. Settling in Connecticut, he became a Real Estate evaluator. He then became the first full-time assessor in the Town of East Haddam. He then joined the Moodus Lumber & Coal Company, where he worked for 38 years, becoming an owner. After the company was sold in 1989, Kathleen and Edwin traveled extensively, their favorite excursions being to Egypt and the Canadian Rockies.
DesRosiers was president of the East Haddam Ambulance Association for 10 years. He was a charter member of the East Haddam Lions Club, with 56 years of perfect attendance, and later became an Assistant District Governor of the Lions of Connecticut. He was also a charter member of American Legion Post 156 in Moodus, and a member of the VFW, the Iwo Jima Survivors Association and the Fourth Marine Division Association. He was more recently a parishioner of St. Anthony's church in White River Junction, VT.
He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, three daughters: Dawne (Joe) Buckley, of Framingham, MA; Nicole (Dave) Jones of Saco, ME; Lisa (Bob) Holt of Woodstock, VT; a son, Jared (Jennifer) DesRosiers of Falmouth, ME; sixteen grandchildren and soon-to-be seventeen great-grandchildren. Survivors also include three sisters: Janet Fontaine of Sedona, AZ; Felice Cottle of Denver, CO; and Elaine DesRosiers of St. Catharine, KY. He was pre-deceased by his brother, Henry in 1995, his oldest son, Paul (Jannie) DesRosiers in 1997, and a grandson, Ian Holt in 2004.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday July 20th at 11AM at St. Anthony Church in White River Jct. Interment will be in the Vermont Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Randolph Center, Vermont Friday July 21st at 9AM. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the American Legion Post #22 Scholarship Fund, 189 Mechanic Street, Lebanon, NH 03766