BEVERLY, Mass. – Rene R. Gagnon, 75, of Roxbury and formerly of Danvers, Mass., died Sunday, Dec. 24, at the Beverly Hospital, after a brief illness. He was the husband of Phyllis (Paquin) (Levesque) Gagnon. They would have celebrated their 25th anniversary in February.

He was born March 16, 1931, and raised in Salem, Mass., the son of Geneva (Maillett) Gagnon of Peabody, Mass., and the late Rene Gagnon. As a young man he first worked for the former A.C. Lawrence Leather Co. For more than 36 years he was employed as a machinist for GTE Sylvania at the Sylvan Street plant. He and Phyllis moved to Maine from Danvers, when he retired in 1989. They have since divided their time between Roxbury and Sun City, Ariz.

He was a former member of the Peabody Knights of Columbus and currently a member in Maine. He was at one time active in the Peabody, St. John’s Church Bingo program and was currently very active in the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Arizona.

In addition to his wife and mother, he is survived by a son, Rene Gagnon Jr., and his wife, Patricia, of Magnolia, Mass.; one daughter, Donna Clifford, and her husband, Charles; three stepdaughters, Denise M. Calcagno, and her husband, Robert, of Danvers, Mass., Anita L. Naworski of Roxbury and Celeste A. Abate, and her husband, Peter, of Beverly, Mass.; a brother, Robert Gagnon of Danvers, Mass.; four sisters, Viola Elkhay of Rumford, R.I., Patricia Varney of Groveland, Mass., Carol Staid of Peabody, Mass. and Jackie Ball of Lynn, Mass.; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.