Rene D. Roy

Rene D. Roy (1936 -2026)

Answering to Rene, Renée, Chief, Junior, Honey, Dad or Pepére, Rene died at 89 years old on January 31st after a period of decline with progressive dementia, a lengthy career in the heating oil business and extensive community service.

Rene was born in Biddeford, Maine to Jeannette (Harvey) and Rene J. Roy. He graduated from St. Louis High School in Biddeford in 1954, where he played drums in the competitive marching band and he graduated from Ithaca College in 1958 with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in music.

In 1957 he married his high school sweetheart, Françoise (Lambert) and was a loving father to their three children, Deborah, David, and Douglas (yes, all D names). His favorite role was as Pepére. Rene treasured his time with his older granddaughters Katie and Aly up at camp in Emden, in Biddeford and in Florida, and later with his much younger grandsons Peter and Theo from New Jersey with whom he shared a love of the outdoors.

Rene's father started the Roy & Perreault heating oil business in the early 1940s, and Rene often rode with his father on the oil trucks, as young as 9 years old. He recalled being on the oil truck used to carry water to fight the fires in York County during the Great Fires of 1947. Rene returned to Maine from his first management job after college at Firestone Tire in Syracuse at his father's request, to run the heating oil business. Early in business he not only managed the company but did oil burner repairs and rotated calls on nights and weekends with his team. He grew the successful business and built a modern facility and tank farm on Route One in Biddeford.

Although his life's work was growing the business that his father started, his passion was community service. Rene loved people and got his energy from engaging with others. Roy & Perreault sponsored local sports teams such as Little League, Softball, and Broomball. Rene was a member and leader of community organizations such as the Biddeford/Saco Lions Club (he was a major fundraiser), Biddeford/Saco Elks Club, Saint Jean-Baptiste de Bienfaisance and Biddeford/Saco Rotary. Professionally he was a board member and volunteer leader of the Maine Oil Dealers Association, the New England Fuel Institute, and the State of Maine Oil and Solid Fuel Board.

Rene was a Board member and former chair of Biddeford Savings Bank for 32 years (now called Maine Community Bank). He was also a Board member and former chair of Southern Maine Medical Center (now part of Maine Health) for 12 years, advocating for significant expansion and modernization of the hospital.

Fran and Rene later spent half the year at their home in Biddeford and the other half in St. Augustine Beach, Florida where Rene embraced connecting with new friends, was a duffer at golf, and enjoyed the sun and the beach. They also traveled extensively to Europe, Asia (including China and Singapore), Australia, and New Zealand with new adventures on land as well as ocean and river cruises.

Rene loved the outdoors and started boating as a boy on Sebago Lake in the summers, continuing with boating in and around the Saco River, and fishing on Embden Pond. In the winters he enjoyed snowmobiling both in Maine and on several trips with friends to Canada. He was handy around the house, and a talented woodworker who built tables, bird houses and even chairs for the grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Richard, along with his lifetime best friend Jim Donahue and this fellow snowmobiling friend, Jerry Allie. Rene is survived by his wife of 68 years, Françoise of Biddeford, his daughter Deborah Roy and partner Andrew Hudson of Falmouth, son David Roy and wife Lynn of Biddeford, and his son Douglas Roy and wife Maria Schembari of West Orange, New Jersey; his granddaughters Katherine and husband Peter Kalagias of Saco, and Alyson and husband Benjamin Wallace of Biddeford, his grandsons Peter and Theo Roy of West Orange, New Jersey; his great-grandchildren Stella Kalagias and Graham Wallace; and his brother Ronald Roy and wife Marie of Scarborough, along with several nieces and nephews.

His humor, stories and love of life will be sadly missed. Rene embraced his French-Canadian ancestry and took any French spoken within earshot as an open invitation to chat with people he did not know. That continued to the end. The Roy family would like to thank the staff in the memory care unit at The Enclave of Scarborough for their excellent care, especially Melinda, Rachel, Brian, and Melody.

A wake will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2026 at Hope Memorial Chapel at 480 Elm Street in Biddeford from 4 pm to 7 pm, and a memorial service will be held on Friday, February 20, 2026 at 11 am at Hope Memorial Chapel with those in attendance invited to a luncheon immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rene's memory to the Alzheimer's Association Maine Chapter, Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging (Cohen Center), or the Biddeford Food Pantry.