Obituary of Leo Joseph Boucher

The family of Leo Joseph Boucher of New Avon, NB are saddened to announce his passing on Saturday, August 27th, 2016 at the Oromocto Public Hospital. Born in Minto, NB he was the son of the late Levi and Cyrienne (Girouard) Boucher. Leo was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Army) for 25 years. He went to Fort Louis for training in Washington DC then to Korea until 1952. He served in Egypt from 1955-1959 and completed 3 summer combat tours to Alert in the Artic. Leo retired from the Armed Services to return to his hometown of Minto in October 1975. For serving his country Leo has received many medals. Always humble about his achievements he wore them with pride and honor. Leo received many recognition awards from the poppy campaign and the Girl Guides of Canada for helping out at different camps and supporting his wife (who did not drive) as a leader. When Leo was in Montreal before joining the service he took courses in plumbing and heating; worked as an apprentice and received his certificate of qualification from the Dept. of Labour. While in the Army Leo did a lot of supervising and contracting in the field. Leo loved his family dearly … he often took them on Sunday adventures (never coming home the same way). While they never knew the destination, and he said they were never ‘lost’ it was always the journey and the people you met along the way that made the adventure memorable. He had a gentle, quiet spirit which resonated with so many and his songs will forever stay in the hearts of those who had the privilege of sharing in the celebration of the day. Some of his favorite pastimes included reading dancing, gardening and hiking in the woods with his Grandchildren or having the occasional antics guaranteed to leave you laughing. Leo’s legacy of honor, integrity, community & country will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. The love & compassion that he shared with his family & friends are a true testament to the authentic person he is. Leo is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Iona (Bryan) Boucher; 3 children, Gerald Boucher (Patricia) of Markdale, ON, Gail Richard (Marcel) of Pebbles Beach, NB and Yvonne Baxter (Donald) of Sussex; grandchildren, Luke, Olivia, Jason, Daniel, Derek and Ian and great grandchildren, Ethan, Renee and Peyton; brothers, Lorris Boucher (Anne) of Minto, Arthur Boucher (Edith) of Burton; sisters, Evelyn Vanin of Minto, Janet McGaghey (Glen)of Nackawic and Elda Phair (Dennis) of Miramichi City, as well as several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by an infant daughter, Beatrice in 1947 and several brothers and sisters. Resting at Hogg Funeral Services (10 King Street, Minto) with visiting on Monday evening 5-8pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated 11:00AM Tuesday, August 30, 2016 from Holy Rosary Catholic Church. For those who wish, donations made to Korean Veteran Association, Minto Public Library or the WG Bishop Nursing Home would be appreciated by the family. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch # 12 Minto will hold a tribute service Monday evening 5PM.