Denis R. DesOrmeaux

Our Dad, Denis R. DesOrmeaux, passed away peacefully on January 8, 2017, surrounded by his family, prayerfully by his side. He was born in the summer of 1937 in Detroit, MI to Albert and Gertrude (Potvin) DesOrmeaux.  He grew up in Tupper Lakeand raised his family in both Plattsburgh, NY and DeLand, FL.This is his family's love letter to him.
Dear Dad,
We want to express our deepest love and gratitude for the life lessons you have taught us through the years. We thank you for having a great sense of humor, sharing the laughs and fun-loving antics that made you the star in your own, aptly named, "Poor Bastard Productions". We have so many epic Dad and Gramdaddy stories to share with each other and your grandchildren. We thank you for teaching the game of cribbage to two generations, including how to skunk with gusto and kiss both arms in victory, while falling over with laughter. Thank you for sharing your love of music and playing guitar for us like you did in the family band with Papa, Nana and Aunt Colette. We were so happy to recently gift you with a new guitar and watched as you eyes lit up as you took it out of the case, held it and tuned it, just like you did in the good old days. We so regret that we were not aware of how truly ill you were on that happy day and how soon your presence would be gone from us.
You lived your life with a strong faith in God, country and the American dream, and encouraged us to pray for guidance in every situation. Your faith, grit and tenacity pulled us through some dark days, when all seemed lost.  As the loss of home, a successful business and the death of a beloved child overwhelmed us, you exemplified what it meant to truly rely on God for strength, hope and direction in the most dire of circumstances. We also want to thank you for accepting and supporting us in our choice of religion as we grew into adulthood. This is another way your love has blessed our lives.
We thank you for your service in the United States Marine Corps, where you learned pride, courage and 'Semper Fi.' You taught us how to stand up for ourselves and others and you were always there for us when we couldn't go it alone. You were always on our side and we were 'always on your mind'.
In your older years, even as your heart softened and illness challenged, you showed us what the 'Will to Live' truly meant and activated it every day to move forward in this life. It has been a privilege and an awe-inspiring journey to witness the countless times you miraculously bounced back from severe illness and even death itself, confounding the doctors in NY and VT who cared for you over the years. Even Hospice had to release you from their program after a year...now that was an amazing accomplishment!
We are so grateful for our time together, even though we are so heartbroken you have gone from us. But we know this life is temporary and look forward with the faith and hope we will be reunited again one day. Until then, 'Bye for Now', and 'Je T'aime Beaucoup'. We will hold you in our hearts until we hold you in our arms.
With All Our Love and Gratitude, Your Family,
Theresa (Cote) DesOrmeaux
Dan, Noelle (D.), Elijah and Bertie Fitzgerald
Nicole (D.), Aimee, Mackenzie, Shyenne and Cora Lewis
Mimi (D.), Ezekiel, Zephaniah and Barkley DesOrmeaux
Stephen, Nina (D.), Isaac, Isabella, Indigo, Buster, Chip and Cammo Brodi
Zachry Denis and The Pudge DesOrmeaux
Denis' life will be remembered and celebrated by family and friends on June 10, 2017 from 1p.m. to 3p.m.in a Prayer Service at the Stuart-Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Tupper Lake, NY.
Private Interment will follow at the St.Alphonsus Cemetery in Tupper Lake.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Stuart-Fortune-Keough Funeral Home on 24 Cliff Avenue in Tupper Lake. Denis' expressed wish was that folks in local nursing homes could get more phone calls and visits and perhaps get to hear his favorite local band, The Kitchen Band. That, he said, would make him very happy.