Laurent J. Brochu

BRUNSWICK -- Laurent J. Brochu, 85, a former resident of Livermore Falls died Thursday, May 31, 2007, at Parkview Adventist Hospital in Brunswick, where he had been a patient for one week.

Laurent had resided with his daughter Nancy for the past two years in Bowdoin.

He was born in Chisholm on Jan. 12, 1922, the son of Arthur P. and Laura (Bergeron) Brochu, and was educated in the Jay school system. He worked in the Civilian Conservation Camps and served in the Army during World War II in the European Theater. He was captured in May 1944 in Florence, Italy, and was released in May 1945.

On June 2, 1946, he married Jeanne B. Fournier at St. Rose of Lima Church in Jay. She passed away on April 19, 2001.

He worked for International Paper Co. at the Otis and Androscoggin Mills in Jay from January 1946, retiring in 1984 from the shipping department. He was a communicant of St. Rose of Lima Church in Jay; a member of the American POW, Maine Chapter; a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3335 of Jay; a member of the State of Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars Color Guard, Amvets Post 33 of Jay and Disabled American Veterans of Augusta; a 3rd- and 4th-degree of the Knights of Columbus, Council 320; and a member of the IP Quarter Century Club.

He is survived by two sons, Daniel Brochu and his wife, Monica, of Wayne, and the Rev. Paul Brochu and his wife, Darla, of Chatellerault, France; a daughter, Nancy Freeman and her husband, Gary, of Bowdoin; eight grandchildren, three stepgrandchildren, eight great-grandchildren; three sisters, Theresa Pelletier of Aurora, Colo., Priscilla White of Jay and Auburn, and Bernice Colwell and her husband, Harold, of Norfolk, Conn.; and a sister-in-law, Ann Brochu of Winsted, Conn. He will also be missed by his companion, Evelina Caron of Livermore Falls.

He was predeceased by two sisters, Margaret Fournier and Muriel Mallett; and a brother, Gerald Brochu.

A Mass of Christian burial with full military honors will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Rose of Lima Church in Jay. Visiting hours will be from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Finley Funeral Home,15 Church St., Livermore Falls. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Livermore Falls.

If desired, contributions may be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Education Fund, 64 Jewell St., Jay, ME 04239.

Members of the KC will meet at the funeral home at 6:15 p.m. on Sunday and members of the military will meet at 7 p.m. Messages of condolence may be sent to finley@exploremaine.com