Ralph J. Lavallee

He was born in Manchester, June 25, 1917 and was the son of Josephat and Rebecca (Deziel) Lavallee. He was educated in the Manchester school system and was a graduate of West High School, class of 1935.

He was a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II and served with the 4th Armored Division, with General Patton, as an administration consultant. At the end of the war he attended the University of Munich.

After the war he became active in local politics and in 1952 was elected County Commissioner of Hillsborough County. From 1955 to 1963 he served as Superintendent of the Hillsborough County Home, Farm, and House of Corrections. He was also the founder of the Hillsborough County Home Guild. He was appointed Postmaster of the Goffstown Post Office in 1963 and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1982.

Mr. Lavallee had been a member of the former St. Edmond Church where he served as the organizer of the St. Edmond Parish Council. He was the founder and Charter Commander of the Capt. Roger Bernard Post 1699 of the Catholic War Veterans and in 1955 was elected Department Commander for the State of NH.

He founded the Pinardville Lions Club in 1953 and was elected its Charter President. In 1962 he was elected District Governor of District 44N. In 1993 he received the highest Lions Club award, the Melvin Jones Foundation Fellowship Award, for his work on behalf of the blind and handicapped.

He was married to Henriette (Boulanger) Lavallee who died in 2002.

He leaves a son, Ralph D. Lavallee and his wife, Elizabeth Hunter Lavallee, of Francestown, NH; two brothers, Edgar Lavallee of Canoga Park, CA and Joseph Maurice Lavallee of Merlin, OR; four sisters, Rebecca Godbois, Claire Bergeron, Lorraine Brochu, all of Manchester, and Estelle Tellier of Resada, CA; many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Friday, July 10, 2009 at Parish of the Transfiguration, Kelley St., Manchester. Committal prayers followed in Mt. Calvary Mausoleum, 474 Goffstown Rd., Manchester.

Memorial donations may be made to Catholic Medical Center, Philanthropy Office, 100 McGregor St., Manchester, NH 03102.