Roger Morin

ARUNDEL – On Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, Roger Morin of Arundel, passed away due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.

Roger was born in 1945, in West Warwick, R.I., to Richard and Rita Morin, both of Franco-American heritage, followed three years later by his brother, Norbert.

He attended Bishop Hendricken Catholic Boys’ High School, graduating in 1963. After high school, Roger began working as an apprentice plumber, a skill that also served him well later in life when he became a serial builder of his own houses in Rhode Island (West Warwick) and Maine (Hollis and Arundel).

He then enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1965 and was trained as a small arms repairman. He planned to do a tour of duty in Vietnam but was given new orders for Korea when he arrived in San Francisco, Calif. enroute. In Korea he served one tour of duty with the 2nd Infantry Division before returning to complete his enlistment at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, where he won several rifle and pistol sharpshooter competitions on the Army’s marksman team and became an instructor for small arms repair.

Roger married Paulette (née Duguay) of Woonsocket, R.I., in 1967 and welcomed the birth of their two sons a few years thereafter.

After the U.S. Army, Roger worked for the Prudential Insurance Co. before moving his family to Maine to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Southern Maine, graduating in 1982.

While studying at USM he began working evenings for Fairchild Semiconductor in South Portland, which led him to a career in Sales in the semiconductor industry. After Fairchild he held positions as a Sales Representative for other high-tech firms such as ASM International, Teledyne Tac, and RVSI, for which he traveled widely throughout the U.S. Northeast, Europe, and Asia.

The move to Maine also afforded Roger the opportunity to pursue his love of fishing from his antique Old Town canoe, hunting and camping, as well as volunteering on many camping trips for his boys’ Boy Scout Troop, #323 in Hollis. In Maine he took flying lessons – soloing over our house! – but then discovered his love of sailing, exploring the southern- and mid-coast of Maine on his 30-foot Bristol sloop ‘Bon Vivant’.

In 1991, Roger and Paulette built their third and final house. They chose Arundel, to shorten his travel time to Logan Airport for business trips abroad and to be closer to where his sailboat was moored. Here he made many lasting friendships in his neighborhood and served for 25 years on Arundel’s town planning board.

After retiring from the semiconductor industry in 2000, Roger earned his ship captain’s license and worked summers captaining a tour boat out of Kennebunkport. He enjoyed introducing tourists to Kennebunkport’s coastal landmarks and history – another of his great interests. Later in retirement he returned to his Army expertise in small arms repair by working part-time in the gun department at Cabela’s in Scarborough.

In his last years Roger’s many pursuits were severely restricted by his advancing Parkinson’s. His family is deeply thankful for the high degree of care he received at Maine Medical Center, at the New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland, and at Gosnell’s Hospice of Scarborough.

He is survived by his wife, Paulette Morin; his two sons, Raymond and James; his granddaughter, Josie; and daughter-in-law, Shannon Porter; his younger brother, Norbert (now in Richmond, R.I.) and sister-in-law, Kathy; his centenarian mother, Rita (née Regnaiere, mariée Morin, mariée Gendron, now in West Kingston, R.I.); and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass will be held for Roger on Friday, Oct. 11 at St. Philips in Lyman followed by a military service at the Veterans Cemetery in Springvale.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Hospice of Southern Maine.