Alain "Al" Desrosiers

Desrosiers,
Alain "Al"
HALFMOON - Alain "Al" Desrosiers passed away on August 7, 2025, with his wife by his side. He was born in Contrecouer, Quebec, Canada, on November 7, 1949. His deceased parents were Rene Desrosiers and Corona (St. Amand) Desrosiers. When he was two years old, he immigrated to Albany, N.Y., with his parents. Al was the oldest of six siblings. He went to Cathedral Academy grammar school in Albany. In high school, he went to Cardinal McCloskey, Shaker, and Shenendehowa, where he graduated in 1967. He also graduated from Hudson Valley Community College with an associate's degree in industrial technology. Al was an Army combat Veteran serving in Vietnam 1970-1971, in the Americal Division, 1st & 20th infantry. Al was a lifelong off-road motorcycle enthusiast. He started racing motocross and motorcycle ice racing in 1972. He ice raced for 20 consecutive years. He was the district #3 motocross series Vet class champion in 1980 and 1981. He also raced hare Scrambles and enduros, winning the Vet and Senior class championship from 1988-1993 in the Netra hare scrambles series. Seymour's Motorized Sports sponsored and supported him racing that series. Al also raced the infamous Blackwater 100 cross country race in Davis, W.Va., six times from 1987-1993, which at the time was recognized as the toughest off-road race in the U.S.A. For 23 consecutive years, he traveled to Daytona Bike Week in Florida, which included racing the Alligator enduro every year and other races. Al and his friend, Dennis, raced the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series in 2011, which involved traveling to 12 races all over the east coast as far away as Florida. Al finished second in the Golden Masters class and Dennis won his class. He also rode in many Motorcycle Dual Sport rides in Baja Mexico, California, Tennessee, and multiple trips to Colorado, Michigan, Hatfield McCoy in West Virginia, and New England. Al raced his last race in October 2023 at the GNCC in Crawfordsville, Ill., which he traveled to with his brother, Rich. Racing in the Elite Masters class for racers +70 years. He did not finish due to a flat rear tire on the first lap. Rich won his class. Al continued riding locally right up until a couple of weeks before his illness diagnosis. His younger brothers are also lifelong dirt bike riders, so much of the racing and riding they did together. Al got into snowmobiling in 2004, urged by his younger brothers who already had sleds. After a couple years of experience, riding local trails and the Adirondacks, he was hooked. He started riding in Quebec on snowmobile saddle bag trips, where at times they could be over 1000 miles from the truck. He would ride in Quebec four to six times per winter with his brothers and friends, averaging 6000-8000 miles a year on his snowmobiles. Al met Faith Bressette in 1969 at Guptill's roller-skating and have been together ever since, marrying on March 7, 1981, in St. Joseph's Church in Cohoes. They bought an older home on the Hudson River in the Town of Halfmoon. Over the years, they remodeled it, added a three car garage and improved the property to the river installing a dock. They first had a ski boat for many years, progressed to larger boats they could sleep on and go on longer trips. They traveled south to New York City and Atlantic City, West to the Finger Lakes and Thousand Islands, North to Montreal and Quebec City. All these trips were enjoyed with Al's sister, Marie, and George, and their boat. Al and Faith also vacationed in many of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Asia. Five years ago, Al and Faith were awarded custody of their grandnieces, Olivia and Chloe, who came to live with them, which changed Al and Faith's life for the better. The boating trips were even more fun than before. Al worked for the General Electric Co. for over 38 years in engineering as a senior electrical\mechanical designer (drafting). He worked in GE locations in Schenectady, Malta, Knolls, and West Milton retiring from GE Research & Development in 2007. Al is survived by his loving wife, Faith, who cared for him throughout his illness; his grandnieces, Olivia and Chloe; his siblings, Louis (Donna) of Glenville, Diane Vakiener (Art) of Niskayuna, Marc (Carol) of Burnt Hills, Marie Desrosiers (George) of Ballston Lake, and Richard (Lisa) of Halfmoon; several nieces and nephews and a large extended family in Quebec, Canada. Special thanks to Mark and Annie Charette. Funeral services will be held at the Dufresne Funeral Home Inc., 216 Columbia St., Cohoes, on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., prior to the service. Inurnment will take place at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, on Friday, at 10:00 a.m. Relatives and friends who plan to attend services at Saratoga National Cemetery are asked to meet at the funeral home on Friday morning, by 8:45 a.m. Friends who wish to remember Al in a special way may donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in his memory. For condolences, www.dufresnefuneralhome.com