A fisherman’s funeral
Hundreds attend service at St. Simon and St. Jude Roman Catholic Church to remember and honour the life of Glen DesRoches
Glen DesRoches was remembered for his kindness, his hospitality and his faith at a service Thursday that drew more than 600 friends, family and community members to honour the memory of the fisherman who died when the boat he was captaining capsized.
“We all know what happened this past horrible Tuesday evening, September 18th,” said Fr. Albin Arsenault, a close personal friend of DesRoches, who led the funeral.
“From the moment we all heard of the tragedy, our caring community gathered together, whether at North Cape or in our parish church.”
DesRoches, along with mate Moe Getson, died Sept. 18 after their fishing boat capsized off the coast of North Cape. Another crew member, 22-year old Tanner Gaudet, was able to swim to shore and alert the community to the accident.
A massive search in the days following involving the Canadian Coast Guard and hundreds of community volunteers recovered DesRoches’ body on Sunday and Getson’s Monday.
Arsenault presided over the funeral mass at St. Simon and St. Jude Roman Catholic Church for DesRoches.
At times, he spoke directly to DesRoches’ wife, Lorna, describing
an evening social event he attended at the couple’s home in 2006, which involved soccer and a meal of surf and turf, as the “happiest day of my life”.
“I owe a huge debt of gratitude to God for the warmth and charming personality of Glen, who has profoundly shaped and enriched our lives,” Arsenault said.
St. Simon and St. Jude Church has served as a gathering place
for the community in the days since the boating accident. Vigils were held regularly for the DesRoches family.
Now, the community is beginning to return to some degree of normalcy.
At Shirley’s Café, less than a block from the church, patrons chatted amid a moderate dinner rush shortly after the funeral.
Myra Shea, seated at a back table, said people have tried to
support the DesRoches and Getson families as best they can.
“The community’s good like that,” Shea said.
Shea herself owns a lobster fishing boat, which she inherited from her husband after he died 18 years ago. She works regularly with two other crew members and says she avoids going out on stormy days.
But, she says, the Sept. 18 accident won’t stop her from returning
to the water.
“It doesn’t bother me one bit to be back out on the boat,” Shea said.
A funeral service for Getson will be held at 3 p.m. today at the Rooney Funeral Home chapel in Alberton. Condolences for the families of both men can be posted at www.rooneyfh.ca.