John Bouchard

John Bouchard knew that spending time with those who you love, and who love you in return, makes any life worth living. Throughout his life, John showed a great amount of love to his children, his companions, and his friends. A generous, caring man, John created lasting memories with those who loved him, and truly enjoyed his life. The year 1954 was a tense time in American history. The cold war anxieties were taking their toll on Americans, suspicions within the country were running high, and racial tensions were building as schools became desegregated throughout America. However, in Grand Isle, Maine, Jean and Theresa (Sirois) Bouchard were eagerly anticipating the birth of their first child. One cold winter day, on February 21, 1956, John Patrick Bouchard was welcomed into the world. The Bouchard family quickly grew, and John soon became the older brother to Joyce, Linda, Michael, Rodney, Donald, Daniel, and Ann Marie. This family, who were exceptionally proud of their French-Canadian heritage, shared a very close relationship with each other. Living on the family's potato farm, John had an extremely happy childhood especially during the annual potato harvest in the fall. Winters in Maine are cold and snowy. John took advantage of this snow, and enjoyed skiing and sledding. In the summers he loved fishing and spending time with his siblings when he couldnt be with his Memere and Pepere (grandparents) In 1974, John graduated from the Van Buren District high school he attended in Maine. After graduation, he worked for a time at Danfield Threads as a mechanic in Winsted CT. Later he moved back to his home town and worked for an excavating company. In 1989, he moved to Muskegon, Michigan where he went to work at Johnson Technologies as a Production Specialist. He was a set-up person at Johnson Technologies for 19 years. The company considered him an extremely valuable employee, and he provided them with many years of experience, training, and skills. John would always say that the greatest days of his life were the days that his children were born. John became the father to two children, Jason (with Joann (Rossi) Bouchard) and Desiree (with Donna (Vost) Bouchard). John always enjoyed boating, fishing, traveling, and snowmobiling, above everything else he cherished spending time with family which was the most important thing in life. Through doing so, both Jason and Desiree gained memories and experiences that they will continue to cherish throughout their lives. Jason holds fond memories of miniature golfing at Camel Greens, snowmobiling, fishing, and playing basketball together. He will never forget how wonderful it was to hear John cheer him on and encourage him at his soccer games, and how great it was when John asked Jason to live with him when he was twelve years old. Desiree cherishes the memories of him staying up late on nights when she was sick, climbing trees together (mostly to get her down), and snowmobiling. Both Jason and Desiree like to remember how John allowed them to drive the truck when they were young, and how he taught them to drive. Most of all, they loved to see him happy and smiling, knowing that he was perfectly happy any time he was spending time with his family. One day, working at Johnson's, he met Rebecca Ross. The two worked together, and as they did so, they began a long-time companionship that was fulfilling to both of them. As they got to know each other, they discovered that they shared many similar goals and interests in life. John was a very generous, caring, and loving man. He always put his family first, and will be cherished in the hearts of his children forever. A loving father, companion, son, and brother, John will be greatly missed. John Patrick Bouchard died Saturday, October 4, 2008. He is survived by longtime loving companion, Rebecca Ross; son, Jason Bouchard of Spring Lake; daughter, Desiree Bouchard of LaFayette, IN; father, Jean Bouchard; mother, Theresa Bouchard, both of Madawaska, ME; 2 granddaughters, Skylar Bouchard of Muskegon & Zuri Bouchard of Fayetteville, AR; 3 brothers, Rodney Bouchard, Donald (Sandy) Bouchard, both of St. Agatha, ME, Daniel Bouchard of Torrington, CT; 3 sisters, Joyce (Allen) Branscombe of Madawaska, ME, Linda Ball of Easton, ME, Ann Marie (Dennis) Gendreau of St. Agatha, ME; many nieces & nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, Michael Bouchard. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, October 8, 2008 and 6:00 PM at the Clock Chapel in Grand Haven, Michigan. Please visit John's memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can leave a favorite memory or sign the on-line guest book.