PORTLAND — Roger Beauchemin was described Tuesday as a quiet, reserved and good-natured man who lacked self-confidence and struggled to connect with people.

Though he experienced many monumental challenges in his life, he rose above them and fulfilled a lifelong mission to help victims of childhood abuse and bullying.

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Shortly before Roger Beauchemin died on Feb. 26, his family acted on his request to establish a fund that would support education and enrichment programs for at-risk kids. Family photo

Shortly before Mr. Beauchemin died on Feb. 26, his family acted on his request to establish a fund that would support education and enrichment programs for at-risk kids.

His sister took the $60,000 from his bank account and founded “Roger’s Kids,” a perpetual designated fund in the Maine Community Foundation.

His sister, Irene Eaton-Bancroft of Kennebunk, described the moment she told her brother that his wish had been fulfilled.

“He grabbed my arm … squeezed it and said thank you,” she recalled. “It was a moment that stops you in time. It touched me deeply. I was joyful, yet sorry that I hadn’t seen the giant that he was before.”

Mr. Beauchemin, who was 71, rarely felt that way about himself. He was the middle of 15 children and took the brunt of years of physical and emotional abuse by his father.

He struggled with mental illness throughout his life. His sister said he was a kind and intelligent guy, yet he always felt overlooked and was often ridiculed and bullied in his life.

He worked in food services at Maine Medical Center for 14 years. He made a minimal salary and saved whatever he could. His sister said he embraced and appreciated the simple things in life.

“He told me once that he really didn’t know how to reach out to the world,” his sister said.

Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at: mcreamer@pressherald.com

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