Gerard E. Duclos

Thursday, January 7, 2010

New Ipswich – Gerard E. “Duke” Duclos, 84, of River Road, died Dec. 20, 2009, at West Roxbury, Mass., Veterans Hospital following a long illness.

He was born in Greenville on Feb. 15, 1925, the son of Louis and Georgianna (Laprise) Duclos. He lived most of his life in the Greenville and New Ipswich area.

He enlisted in the Merchant Marines at age 17. He served from the WWII era to the Vietnam era. He received a Bronze Medal from the Russian government for his courageous part in the Murmansk Run in WWII. He was recently honored with other Merchant Marine Veterans at a ceremony at the Boscawen Veterans Cemetery.

He was a member of the Wilton and Greenville American Legions as well as the Townsend, Mass., Veterans of Foreign War.

Mr. Duclos was a self- employed master carpenter.

He always enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing cards and repairing clocks. Duke also had a love for wine making.

He survived by his companion of 31 years, Helen Roy, of New Ipswich; a son Louis Gerard Duclos, of Wilton; three daughters, Monique Sullivan of Portsmouth; Lorraine Arbore and her husband Michael, of Londonderry, and Claire Demetre and her husband Lou, of Wrightwood Calif.; a sister Gertrude Dube, of Nashua; 14 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be celebrated Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, at noon at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, High Street Greenville. Military honors will follow the service. A reception with a time of remembrance will follow the service at the American Legion in Wilton starting at 1 p.m. The family requests all that knew him please attend.

Fournier Funeral Home, 12 High St., Greenville is in charge of arrangements.