He was born Feb. 25, 1937, in Biddeford, a son of Omer and Yvonne (Bouffard) Martel. He was educated at St. Andre’s School, and graduated from St. Louis High School.
On Oct. 4, 1958, he married Pauline Rita Perron in Notre Dame de Lourdes Church in Saco.
As a young man, he served in the Army Reserve. For several years, he worked as a loom fixer at Pepperell Manufacturing Co. He was the night foreman in the shipping department of National Distributors in South Portland for over 30 years. He also drove school buses in Biddeford and Saco.
Marcel had been an active member of Notre Dame de Lourdes Church and later Good Shepherd Parish.
As a Eucharistic minister, he visited hospitals and nursing homes as well as private homes, bringing communion to the elderly and infirmed. He loved all his family, and was a wonderful pepere to his grandchildren.
Marcel was preceded in death by: Pauline, his wife of 54 years, on Aug. 27, 2013; his brother, Leonel Martel, in 1998; and three sisters, Florence Letarte in 1967, Gertrude Lamontagne in 2004, and Therese Blais in 2015.
He is survived by: three sons, Normand Martel and his wife Karen of E. Kingston, New Hampshire, William J. Martel and his partner Janet Chick of South Portland, and Richard P. Martel and his wife MaryJo of Shapleigh; one daughter, Joyce Reynolds of Saco; two brothers, Charles and Fernand Martel, both of Biddeford; three sisters, Rachel Gendron, Gabrielle Beaulieu, and Jacqueline Dion, all of Biddeford; five grandchildren, Sarah Merryman, Emily Martel, Tyler Reynolds, and Kate and John Martel; and many nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St., Biddeford. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, April 22, at Most Holy Trinity Church in Saco. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery in Biddeford.
Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel. To share condolences online, please visit HopeMemorial.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Marcel’s memory may be made to: St. Louis Alumni Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 493, Biddeford, ME 04005.
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