LEWISTON — Dr. Reginald Desrochers, 84, formerly of 22 Columbia St., Lewiston, passed away on May 17.

Dr. Desrochers was born in Lewiston on August 6, 1928, the eldest son of Adalbert and Regina (Desjardins) Desrochers. He attended St. Peter’s School in Lewiston and, following his 1947 graduation from St. Dominic Regional High School in Lewiston, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., in 1951, and a D.D.S. from the University of Montreal School of Dentistry in 1955.

After receiving his doctoral award, Dr. Desrochers enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he was commissioned in the autumn of 1955 as pt Lieutenant in the Army Dental Corps at the Medical Field Service School at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He was honorably discharged as Captain after having served two years at Fort Dix, N.J.

In 1957, he married the love of his life, Charlotte M. Durette of Manchester, N.H., at St. George Church in Manchester. Reginald and Charlotte settled in Lewiston where they raised a family, and where he would practice general dentistry until his retirement in 1997.

Dr. Desrochers was a lifetime member of the American Dental Association, and belonged to the Maine Dental Association and the Androscoggin Valley Dental Society. He was a communicant at the Prince of Peace Parish (Holy Family Church), where he served as a lector.

Family was the clear priority in Reginald’s life. After a week of long days in the office, he would spend the weekends with his family and often extended family. From Memorial Day until Labor Day, Sundays (after church, of course) had the Desrochers, Beaule and Bergeron families packed into station wagons for a full day at Popham Beach. The rest of the year saw many family gatherings that included ping-pong for the young folk, and music and singing with the aunts and uncles. These family ties would become even more critical with the untimely passing of Charlotte in 1973. As the young cousins became teenagers, these get-togethers would often include “family council meetings” for the adults.

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Reginald was an avid follower of college football, spending many enjoyable fall Saturdays with his family traveling to various New England venues to attend games at schools in all divisions. A prolific reader, he was also a strong advocate for education, serving on the school boards of both Holy Family School and St. Dominic R.H.S., and proudly attending the college graduations of not only his children, but also his nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his wife and parents, as well as his sons, Paul in 1958, and Charles in 1992.

He will be sadly missed by one daughter, Lise Bresnahan of Lewiston; two sons, Pierre Desrochers and his wife, Judith, of Kennebunk, and Marc Desrochers and his wife, Michelle, of Watertown, Conn. He is also survived by his sisters, Gilberte and her husband, Gerard Beaule, Rita Desrochers, and Jeannine Bergeron, as well as his brother, Bertrand Desrochers and his wife, Juliette, all of Lewiston. In addition, he leaves behind six grandchildren, Gregory and Stephen Bresnahan, Jonah and Spencer Desrochers, and James and Catherine Desrochers.

The family would like to thank all those who cared for Dr. Desrochers, including staff at the Marguerite D’Youville Pavilion and Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice.


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