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Roger Desmarais
ROGER DESMARAIS
Cedar Rapids
Roger H. Desmarais, 90, of Cedar Rapids, died at home on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, following a brief illness. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, at St. Jude Catholic Church, by the Rev. Mark Reasoner. Burial, with military rites: St. Joseph Cemetery. A vigil service will be 6 p.m. Monday at Cedar Memorial Westside Chapel, where friends may visit from 4 to 7 p.m. Friends also may visit after 9 a.m. Tuesday at the church.
Roger is survived by his children: son, Bill (Karen) Desmarais of Cedar Rapids; daughters, Carol (Ron) Schorg of Bettendorf, Susan (Scott) Matson of Hot Springs Village, Ark., and Julie (Scott) Pameticky of Cedar Rapids; seven grandchildren, Colton Desmarais, Alec, Will and Joel Schorg, Adam Matson, Emily Matson and Taylor Pameticky; great-grandchildren, Jocelyn, Anemone and Daphne; brother, Francis X. (Doris) Desmarais of Chicopee, Mass.; sisters, Gertrude Voss of Vero Beach, Fla., Eileen Gosselin of Vero Beach, Fla., Rose (Roger) Lamontagne of Memphis, Tenn., and Joan (Norman) LeBlanc of Vero Beach, Fla.; and sister-in-law, Terese Desmarais of Hawley, Mass.
Roger was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Kathleen in 2008; infant son, Dean Francis Desmarais; brother, Richard Desmarais; and sister, Agnes Desmarais.
Roger H. Desmarais was born June 23, 1924, in Chicopee, Mass., the son of Francis and Mildred (Marin) Desmarais. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy. He attended the University of Iowa and received a B.A. and M.A. degree. On June 6, 1946, he married Kathleen Sedlacek in Iowa City. Roger taught science in the Clinton Community school district for 20 years and then was principal in the South Tama school district for many years, until retiring in 1986.
After retirement, he substitute taught in the Cedar Rapids Community school district for 19 years. He was a member of St. Jude's Catholic Church, where he was a Catholic layman; Congenial 100, Merimyx Dance Clubs and was a lifelong member of educational and civic groups.
Memorials may be directed to St. Jude's Catholic Church, EWTN, Eastern Iowa Honor Flight or Hospice of Mercy.
Online condolences may be left at www.cedar memorial.com under "obituaries."
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