Peter Remi Despathy

Despathy, Peter Remi
Peter Remi Despathy was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, on 23 November 1956. He attended St. Christopher School from 1962 to 1970 and Nashua High School from 1970 to 1974. Between 1979 and 1984 he attended Concordia University and McGill University, Montreal, Quebec completing a B.A. degree in theological studies and a diploma in education. Peter joined the Presentation Brothers Congregation on 15 August 1978, taking Br. Gerard as his religious name. He made first profession of vows on 15 August 1979 and perpetual profession on 15 August 1983. Br. Gerard served in Longueil, Quebec (1979-80 and 1982-84), Marshall, Missouri (1980-82), Montebello, Quebec (1984-88), Prince George, British Columbia (1988-97), Knoxville, Tennessee (1997-2006) and Kissimmee, Florida (2006-2010). He was a Community Leader in Montebello, Prince George and Knoxville, and Assistant Principal in Montebello. He was appointed Province Leader of Our Lady of the Americas Province (OLA - North America/West Indies) in 2005. Br. Gerard was a man of deep faith who had a great love for our presentation way of life. He served the Brothers of the OLA Province with great diligence visiting the communities of a far flung province on numerous occasions. He was a frequent visitor to Ireland for leadership meetings and conferences. He showed a great interest in the growth of the Congregation in Africa and attended the Extended Leadership Meeting in Tamale, Ghana in 2007. Br. Gerard died unexpectedly on Saturday, 27 February 2010 while attending a renewal program at the Sangre De Cristo Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Funeral Mass will be held at 10AM, Friday, March 5 at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 32648 N. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek, Arizona and burial will take place at Holy Redeemer Catholic Cemetery in Phoenix. A Memorial Mass will be held at a later date in Holy Redeemer Parish, Kissimmee, Florida. He is the son of Robert G. Despathy, Sr. and Leatrice Dubuc Despathy of Cave Creek, AZ, formally of Nashua, NH. He is survived by Sr. Paula-Jean Despathy FSE, Cynthia Hazzard, Robert, Jr. and Carol (Bird) Despathy, James and Patricia (Sullivan) Despathy and Diane and Michele Despathy. Also nephews, Michael and Matthew Despathy and nieces, Nicole Ward and Kristin Boudreau; five great nephews and nieces, Dylan, Jenna Lee and Casey Ward and Miles and Nathan Despathy.