Donald R. Bourcier

Ludlow - Donald R. Bourcier, 89, died on August 24, 2025, at Baystate Medical Center after a brief illness.  He was reunited with his first wife, Jeannette, on what would have been their 68th wedding anniversary.  Born in Ware, MA on March 9, 1936, the youngest son of the late Arthur L. and Leona E. (Dame) Bourcier.  He attended the local schools and was a graduate of Ware High School.  He entered The Congregation of St. Alexius an order of medical monks and studied at the orders Postulate Seminary at Signal Mountain Tenn. and the Alexian Novitiate Seminary in Gresham Wisconsin where he was known as Frater Leon C.F.A.  He declined religious vows and returned to Western Mass, where he eventually married a High School classmate the former Jeannette T. Phaneuf.  He later graduated from the New England Institute of Sanitary Sciences and became a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer.  He served his internship at the J.B. Cole & Gleason Milton Home for Funerals and moved to Chatham on the Cape where he managed the Nickerson Funeral Home.  In 1961 he and Jeannette moved to Wilbraham, and he joined the staff of the Edward F. O'Donnel Funeral Home in Springfield.  In 1967 he became associated with the Curran-Jones Funeral Home in West Springfield.  He assisted his wife in founding Country Memorials a cemetery Memorial business in Palmer which they ran for 27 years prior to her death in 2002.  In 1974 he joined the Hafey Funeral Home in Springfield and later assisted the founding of the Hafey Funeral Home in East Longmeadow.  He eventually became manager of the Hafey firm and served there over ten years.  He later joined The Byron Funeral Home as assistant manager serving under Ernest Byron. He later returned to Curran-Jones and served there as manager until he semi-retired in 2000.  In retirement he served as adjunct Funeral Director and Embalmer for several area funeral homes.

He was a Life Member of Palmer Council #376 Knights of Columbus and a life member of Archbishop Williams Assembly Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.  He also served as President of the Serra Club of Springfield and served five terms as governor of District 39 (Diocese of Springfield) for Serra International.  He was a founder of the Serra Memorial Burse for Vocations at The Legion of Christ Seminary in Cheshire, CT.  He was a member of The Confraternity of Former Alexians of The Immaculate Conception Province.  He was a communicant of St. Ceilia's Parish where he formerly served as Lector, Cantor and Eucharistic Minister.

A thirty-year member of The Wilbraham Call Fire Dept., he retired in 1991 with the Rank of Lieutenant.  During his 30-year career he also served as Liaison Officer to the Departments Chaplains.  In 1982 he became an honorary member of the Hampden County Deputy Sheriffs Association.  He was elected to The Wilbraham Cemetery Commission and served as Chairman for over 15 years.  He also served on the Board of the Western Mass Funeral Consumers Alliance and was a trustee of the Wilbraham Atheneum.  He was an Amateur Radio Operator with the call sign of KB1-NCP. He was a member of the Hampden County Radio Assoc, and the Mount Top Repeator Association.

His first wife the former Jeannette T. Phaneuf died in 2002 after 43 years of marriage.  He married his second wife the former Barbara (Baldwin) Smith-Mudgett in 2004.  He sold Country Memorials in 2005 and fully retired in 2006.  In retirement he and Barbara enjoyed many adventures traveling through Iceland, Europe, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Central America.

He was predeceased by his siblings, Loretta Krol Mosher, Marjorie Mega, Percy A. Bourcier and Richard H. Bourcier.  Besides his wife Barbara, he leaves two sons Paul G. Bourcier (Karen) of Florida, David F. Bourcier (Kelley) of Wilbraham and a daughter Karen R. Irla (Robert) of Monson.  He also leaves four granddaughters, Kaitlyn Soto (Raymond) of Monson, Samantha Terron (Brian) of Hampden, Lindsey Bourcier of Wilbraham, and Katherine Bourcier (Tenley Cunningham) of Florida. His infant grandson Kevin Bourcier predeceased him in 1993.  He also leaves six great grandchildren, Tristan, Noah, and Sawyer Soto all of Monson, Vicente and Camila Terron of Hampden, and Tenley Bourcier of Florida.  In addition, he leaves two stepdaughters, Nancy Schwartz (Greg) of Amherst and Sharon McManus (Paul) of Acton, two stepsons, Lawrence Smith (Barbara) of Leeds, and David Smith (Sherri) of Londonderry, NH

Calling hours will be held on Friday, August 29th at the Beers & Story Palmer Funeral Home from 5:00pm-7:00pm.   Family and friends may gather at the funeral home on Saturday for 9:00am to follow to a Funeral Mass at 10:00am at Divine Mercy Parish in Three Rivers.  Burial will follow at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Ware.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Rick's Place, Grief support for children, teens and their families in Wilbraham.