Robert "Bob" DesRoches

Robert (Bob) DesRoches, 102, Bismarck, ND, passed away on May 4, 2025, at Baptist Health in Bismarck, surrounded by his family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 9:30 AM, May 8, 2025, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 1919 N 2nd St, Bismarck. Visitation will be held one hour prior. To view the service livestream, click this link Corpus Christi - YouTube

Burial will be held at 12:00 PM at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.

Robert Joseph DesRoches was born July 24, 1922, in Fairview Township, northeast of Rolla ND in Rolette County. Bob was the third of six children born to Amedee Jr. and Marie (Lammers) DesRoches. His first eight grades of school were at Fairview Township School #4. He graduated from St. John High School in May 1940.

During World War II, Bob enlisted in the Army Signal Corp in November 1942 and served until March 1946. Twenty months of his service were in the South Pacific. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

In the fall of 1946, he enrolled at the North Dakota Agriculture College (now NDSU) in Fargo ND for two terms. In the fall of 1947, Bob purchased half interest in the John Deere Dealership at McHenry ND. There he met his future wife, Lorraine Finstuen, who worked at the First National Bank in Binford ND. He sold his interest in the implement dealership in September of 1949 and moved back to the family farm in Fairview Township.

On June 10, 1950, he married Lorraine at St. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church in McHenry ND. They lived in St. John ND for a short time, and later moved to the DesRoches family farm. In the fall of 1957, the family moved to Escondido, CA. There Bob sold “on your lot” houses for three years.

In July of 1960, Bob and his family moved back to Rolla where he purchased the Rolla Locker and Meat Plant. In 1964 he bought the old Red Owl grocery store and then built a new store building which is the present Jack-N-Jill grocery store. In 1969, he purchased two more Red Owl stores, one in Bottineau and one in Rugby. All stores were sold by 1976.

Bob studied Real Estate Law for a year and became a real estate broker. He sold real estate in the Rolla area for the next ten years. Beginning in 1981, Bob and Lorraine spent the winter months at Gold Canyon near Apache Junction AZ. In 2001, they purchased a home in Mandan ND in the Marina Bay area to be closer to family. In August 2019, they moved into Prairie Pointe Assisted Living in Bismarck and Bob moved to the adjoining Baptist Health and Rehab two years ago where he received excellent care.

Bob is remembered for his many acts of exceptional generosity, both seen and unseen. He had special care for widows and for children facing a diagnosis of cancer.

Bob is survived by his beloved wife, Lorraine; son John (Pam) DesRoches (Bismack) and their daughter, Molly (Tom) May and their four children (Bismarck); daughter Beverly (Daryl) Coulthart (Sun City West AZ/Bismarck); daughter Elizabeth (Jim) Deutsch (Bismarck) and their three children Katie (Bismarck), Carolyn (Alex) Shepler (Little Canada MN), and Steven (Bismarck); daughter Dr. Barbara (Dr. Juan) Gelpi (Virginia Beach VA/Bismarck) and their two children Rebekah (Sarah Moscovitch) (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) and Amalia (Virginia Beach VA); and his brother, Bernard DesRoches (Fargo ND). He also leaves his valued friend, Bob Kupper, who holds a special place in Bob’s family.

Bob was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Amber DesRoches, brother Maurice DesRoches, and sisters Grace (Stan) Davis, Dolores (Mike) Boyle, and Lorraine (Bob) Stock. Bob’s family is immensely grateful for the love and care given him by the staff of Baptist Health and Rehab and Hospice of the Red River Valley.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Bob’s name can be given to the Amber DesRoches Memorial Scholarship at NDSU School of Nursing at Sanford in Bismarck (Sanford Health Foundation, PO Box 5525, Bismarck, ND 58501), the Fred C. Wagner American Legion Post (PO Box 982, Rolla, ND, 58367) or the cemetery at St. John the Baptist Church (PO Box 170, St. John, ND, 58369).