Denis J. Turcotte

Denis J. TurcotteB1947 – 2025BDURHAM – Denis J. Turcotte, 77, of Durham passed away peacefully Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at CMMC in Lewiston. He was born April 15, 1947, a son of Philip and Anna Turcotte. He was educated at Catholic and public schools, graduating from Lewiston High School in 1965. He held various jobs including groundskeeping at St. Mary’s Hospital, and at Diamond Machine Company and Philips-Elmet Corporation on the factory floor and as a foreman.

Denis was one tough son of a gun, fighting a courageous battle with ankylosing spondylitis for most of his life, but not letting it get in the way of the things he loved to do. He was a classic New Englander — he could fix anything, and was an excellent woodsman, cook and gardener. He loved working on and driving American muscle cars and motorcycles. He was a passionate fly fisherman, fishing Northern Maine fly-fishing-only ponds and navigating thousands of miles of Northern Maine paper company dirt roads searching for brook trout honey holes. For many years, he sent detailed fishing records to the State of Maine to add to their datasets. His prize fish was a 5.5-pound native brook trout caught with a fly of his own design. He passed his love of Maine woods and waters on to his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his children, Macee T. Damon (David) of Arlington, Mass., and Jason Turcotte (Jessica) of Durham; six grandchildren, Cyndle (Den), Trinity, Talon, and Jazmin Turcotte, and Christopher and Courtney Staples ; and six nieces, two nephews, and their children.

He was predeceased by his parents and his brothers, Ronnie, Larry, and Norman Turcotte.

The family wishes to thank his care team at CMMC for their attentive care. According to his wishes, there will be no formal services.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture in his name. https://easternbrooktrout.org/donate