Leo J. Poirier Jr.

Leo Joseph Poirier, Jr., son of Leo J. Poirier and Mary (Daly) Poirier and stepson of Albina (Nowokunski) Poirier was born in Clinton, Massachusetts on January 2, 1930. He died on October 11, 2025, in Leominster, Massachusetts, at age 95.
Leo received his elementary education at St. John's parochial school in Clinton and St. Leo's parochial school in Leominster. His secondary education began in the ninth grade at Gallager Jr. High School and was completed at Leominster High School with a varsity letter in Track, honors, and membership in the National Honor Society.
After graduation in 1947, Leo joined the U. S. Navy where he served for nine years as an electronic and communications technician in North Africa, Guam, and several bases in the United States. He was honorably discharged in 1956 as a 1 st Class Petty Officer.
In 1950 Leo married Lois Johnson whom he met shortly before joining the service. They had two children: Maureen, born in 1952 and Timothy, born in 1957.
While in Guam Leo had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus which changed his life. After considering various church organizations, he decided to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was baptized in the Pacific Ocean at Tuman Bay, becoming a member of the church in Talofofo, Guam.
His desire to become a military chaplain led him to leave the Navy to obtain ministerial training with the intent of returning to his military career. In 1960 he earned a BA degree in Theology from Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, Massachusetts, while working as an electronic technician at the Bolton Electronics Company, graduating with high honors.
During his final college years Leo assisted in pastoring churches in Fitchburg, Gardner, Townsend, Boston, and Everett, Massachusetts, before moving the family to Berrien Springs, Michigan, where he earned an MA in Systematic Theology.
After graduating in 1961 he pastored churches in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, and helped to open a church school.
While preaching in the Wickford, Rhode Island, church in April 1962 Leo fell to the floor as the result of what turned out to be a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a ruptured blood vessel beneath the brain. This ended his plans for military chaplaincy.
Miraculously, over the next year, with the healing of God and the care of his wife, he gradually regained his strength and continued his ministry, pastoring in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and opening another elementary church school. He was ordained to the gospel ministry in July 1965.
From 1968 to January 1992 Leo served as a hospital chaplain at the New England Sanitarium and Hospital in Stoneham, Massachusetts (later New England Memorial Hospital and Boston Regional Medical Center). While there he was certified by the National College of Chaplains, the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and held membership in the American Association of Clinical Pastoral Educators. In 1992 he received the Professional Service Award from the College of Chaplains.
Leo was a charter member of the Seventh-day Adventist Hospital Chaplains Association, serving as its President from 1983-1985. He also helped to formulate the Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries Department at the church's World Headquarters. For many years he served as an adjunct professor for the Religion and Continuing Education Departments of Atlantic Union College and as a field supervisor for some Boston area colleges.
After his retirement in 1992, Leo served as part-time chaplain for the Department of Mental Health of Virginia in the Eastern State Hospital, Williamsburg, Virginia, and at the Melrose- Wakefield Hospital in Massachusetts. He also served as counselor for the Stoneham Pediatric Clinic.
Leo is survived by his daughter, Maureen Hodson, son, Timothy Poirier (Merle), sister Janice Mager (Alan), brother-in-law Alton Johnson (Bonnie), four grandchildren: John Hodson, Jr. (Jill), Kristy Hodson, Ellen Musselman (John), Lisa Froelich (Mark), and six great- grandchildren: Dean, Luke, and Kate Hodson, Connor and Justin Musselman, and Audrey Froelich, along with several cousins, nieces, and nephews. A sister, Sheila Adzima, preceded him in death.
The family expresses their deep appreciation to the wonderful staff at HealthAlliance Home Health and Hospice of UMass Memorial Health of Leominster and Always Best Care Senior Services through the Veterans Administration.
A memorial service is planned for November 29, at 3 pm, at the Stoneham Memorial Seventh- day Adventist Church. Interment will be at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Winchendon, Massachusetts, with his wife of nearly 73 years, Lois (Johnson) Poirier, who predeceased him by two years.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Greater Boston Academy Worthy Student Fund at 108 Pond Street, Stoneham, MA 02180 or Adventist Frontier Missions at https://afmonline.org/give.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Leo J. Poirier Jr., please visit our floral store.