SACO, Maine – Rachel (Grondin) Desjardins, 85, of Saco passed away peacefully on August 2, 2017. She was born on October 27, 1931 in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, daughter to Jean and Marie Marguerite Grondin.
Rachel was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s-type dementia in 2004. As the disease progressed, she was under the care of the wonderful staff at Seal Rock at Atlantic Heights in Saco for the last ten years. Her children visited and spent time with her regularly.
Rachel was all about family. She was born and raised in Canada, along with twelve siblings. She then raised eight children of her own. She used to say she had enough kids for a ball team and was always in the thick of anything her kids were playing. She and Maurice, her husband of 54 years, immigrated from Canada in 1960 with their five oldest children to northern Maine. They wished for a better life of opportunities for their children. They eventually settled in Presque Isle, along with three more children. Rachel was the ultimate homemaker and mother. Baking, playing piano, and acting as referee for her brood were just some of her specialties. She was their cheerleader, their disciplinarian, and family game-maker. She was also a bit of a card shark. She loved the competitiveness it brought into her home and encouraged her children to play from a very early age.
Weekends were about seeing family members near and far. She and Maurice would pack up the car with their children to visit relatives in New Brunswick almost every weekend. The joy and laughter she shared with her siblings was passed down to her own kids and was something all remember about her. Her laugh was boisterous, her big smile was genuine, and her love and spirit for kindness and compassion to those around her was unwavering. She was the person everyone went to when they were in need, as she was quick to act and calm any fears.
Rachel has now joined her beloved husband, Maurice, who passed away in 2003, and her two oldest sons, John (2014), and Clifford (2009). She is survived by her oldest daughter Nicole (Desjardins) Moreau and Larry Barrett of Old Orchard Beach, ME, son Paul and wife Maria of St. Croix USVI, son Dan of Fort Lauderdale, FL and Cape Cod, MA, son Dave and partner Jen Jagielo of Toronto and Atlanta, GA, daughter Robin Desjardins-Davis of South Portland, ME, and her youngest daughter Lori Desjardins of Fort Lauderdale, FL and Maine. She also leaves behind her daughter-in-law, Linda Desjardins of Presque Isle, ME and Linda’s sons, Jason Ireland of Presque Isle, ME and Jeremy Brooks of Portland, ME, her beloved grandchildren, Jason Desjardins and wife Lisa of Alexandria, VA, Andrew Moreau and wife Jamie of Rochester, NY, Emily Desjardins of New York, NY, Michael and Stephen Desjardins of Portland, ME, David Desjardins of Presque Isle, ME, John Paul Desjardins of Urbana, IL, and Caroline Davis of South Portland, ME, as well as her great-grandson, Maximo Maurice Desjardins of Alexandria, VA, great-granddaughter Rhianna Desjardins of Presque Isle, several siblings and their families, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A remembrance gathering and luncheon will be held on Wednesday, September 27, from 1:00-300 p.m. at Seal Rock’s Chart Room in Saco, ME. A memorial service will be held in Presque Isle, ME, on Friday, September 29, beginning with a mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 11:00 a.m. followed by a luncheon at the Knights of Columbus hall, and then internment at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Family and friends are welcome to attend all services. In lieu of flowers, the family asks all to donate to the Maine Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in Rachel’s memory.
To read the obituary, share memories or leave online condolences with the family, please visit www.Cotefuneralhome.com
