Evangeline C. Deroche

Evangeline C. (Harnois) Deroche, 84 PORTLAND - Evangeline C. (Harnois) Deroche, 84, of Portland, died Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009, at St. Joseph's Manor. She was the wife of the late Melvin Deroche who died in 1992. She was born in Portland on May 15, 1925 a daughter of the late Arthur & Evangeline (Giboin) Harnois. She attended St. Joseph's Grammar School and St. Joseph's Academy. She then went on to graduate from the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. Evangeline spent 25 years working as a nurse for Mercy Hospital. Vanny came from a musical family and played the cello as a teenager. Throughout her life she continued to support the artistic and sports activities of her children and grandchildren, attending many music and dance recitals as well as many athletic events. She was a prolific reader and set an example for her children to become well-educated. Throughout her life she could be seen with her knitting needles, turning out countless pairs of mittens for her family. Her baking specialty was apple pie, a treat her children always enjoyed. She was a life-long communicant of St. Joseph's Church in Portland, where she married her husband Melvin in 1948. She supported the PTO at St. Joseph's School when her children were in attendance there, and she frequently held an office in that organization and did the same when her children attended Catholic High Schools in Portland. She also belonged to CFM and the Sodality at St. Joseph's Church, and worked to produce items for the Church Fair. After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in l990, Vanny became very active in a local Parkinson's support group. Through participation in this activity, she was able to offer encouragement to many who shared this condition. She is survived by six children, Claire Deroche of Queens, N.Y., Cecile DeRoche-Cain and her husband Charles, E. Celine Whitehead and her husband O. Day, Peter Deroche and his wife Stephanie, all of Portland, P. Celeste DeRoche and her life partner Gail Geisenhainer of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Camille Clifford and her husband Stephen of Portland; 11 grandchildren; and two sisters, Sr.Gratia Harnois and Sr. Therese Harnois, both of Portland; as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by two sisters, Rosemarie Taliento and Yvonne Hagerty, and by one brother, Pierre Harnois. The family of Evangeline wishes to express sincere appreciation to the staff of St. Joseph's Manor for the loving and dignified care that Vanny received during her two years as a resident. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a visitation on Monday, January 4, 2010 from 4 - 8 p.m. at Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodfords Street, Portland. Prayers will be recited on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010, at the funeral home at 10 a.m. led by Deacon Stephen Harnois, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 673 Stevens Ave, Portland. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Portland. You are invited to share your thoughts, condolences, and fond memories with the Deroche family by visiting Evangeline's guest book at www.mem.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to: Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research P. O. Box 4777 New York, NY 04112-0553 or St. Joseph's Manor 1133 Washington Ave. Portland, ME 04103-3698 Evangeline C. Deroche Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home & Cremation Service 775-3763