Roger was born on Oct. 12, 1951 in Biddeford, Maine, the second son of Jean Paul Lacroix and Claire (Bisson) Lacroix of Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
Roger grew up in Old Orchard Beach and attended school there through Grade 8 at which time he went to and graduated from Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in 1973, and an MBA a year later, both from the University of Maine at Orono.
Much of his employment career was in financial management and accounting for paper mills, construction companies, auto dealers, and in maple syrup manufacturing. Early on Roger resided in Lisbon Falls, Maine, then in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. He moved to Lancaster, New Hampshire upon meeting his partner, Mary.
Roger was a highly ranked chess player in college and afterwards, and won several awards and trophies in tournaments all throughout New England. He was a lifelong participant in recreational athletics from Little League and on throughout adulthood, excelling especially as a pitcher in baseball and softball. He at times, acquired sponsors and managed his own teams. He also avidly played basketball, volleyball, flag football and later on took up and enjoyed Tai Chi. Roger enjoyed playing rock music electric guitar especially in the style of his favorite bands, The Who and The Ramones, while purposely and humorously mimicking the flamboyance of their guitarists.
After Emily, his only child, was born, Roger enjoyed many activities with her and loved to tell stories about her learning and development and how smart she was. Later in life, with Mary, he very much enjoyed contra-dancing, hiking, letter-boxing and many other activities. He did all of these activities with great joy and humor. In his youth and early adulthood he most often took part in these activities along with his older brother, Gil, and Roger’s lifelong best friend, John “Fitzy” Fitzgerald. He also enjoyed sharing comical stories about these activities, especially about his interactions with the many friends he made along the way.
Roger always kept his love for the beach and ocean at Old Orchard, vowing to visit at least five times each summer. He especially enjoyed body surfing which he often did with his brother. Roger and Mary would spend time there with his parents and his aunt, Gert Bisson. In the evenings he loved to play cards and Scrabble with us all.
His biggest enjoyment was playing the stock market. His interest never waned from the moment his mother, Claire, bought him two shares of stock in a retail department store when he was 10 years old. Roger invested on a moderate scale, and did so as much as for an avocation as he did to augment his income. Nevertheless, he took it very seriously and was very good at it.
Roger is survived by his partner, Mary Snowman of Lancaster, New Hampshire and her family, his daughter, Emily, of Acton, Massachusetts, his only sibling, Gil Lacroix, and spouse Lynn Bonsey, of Bucksport, Maine., and his friend, John Fitzgerald, of Scarborough, Maine.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, at St. Margaret Church in Old Orchard Beach. Interment will follow at St Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford in the Adelard Bisson maternal family plot.
To view Phillip’s memorial page or leave an online condolence, please visit www.cotefuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association either online at alz.org, by phone at 800.272.3900, or by mail to Alzheimer’s Association P.O. Box 96011 Washington, D.C. 20090-6011.
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