Deacon Robert M. Parenteau

Biddeford Pool

Deacon Robert M. Parenteau, 93, of Biddeford Pool, passed away surrounded by his loving wife Muriel, and their two sons, Marc and Jean Pierre on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at home.

Robert (affectionately known as Bob) was born on September 26, 1930, in Biddeford, a son of Hector and Florilda (Breault) Parenteau. He attended St. Francis Boarding School during his middle and high school years and graduated there in 1949. During the summers of his high school years Bob worked for Lucas Tree Experts as a lumberjack, maintaining the power transmission corridors from York to Falmouth with a double-bit axe.  For the rest of his days Bob wore the scar from this chapter of his life, received from an axe blow to his foot.

Bob went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and English Literature from St. Michael's College in 1953.  Later that same year he entered the United States Army and was stationed in Germany.  By the time of his discharge in 1955 he had risen to the rank of Corporal.  Not being one to sit still, and always striving to better himself, Bob returned to school and received his Masters Degree from the University of Montreal in 1957.  It was during this time that he met the love of his life, Muriel Fleurent, at the wedding reception of Muriel's sister Lucille whose husband Clement Auger had been Bob's roommate at St. Michael's.  The two were united in holy matrimony on August 26, 1957 and returned to Montreal while Bob worked his Doctoral studies. During the summer break in 1958 they welcomed their first son, Marc before returning to Montreal for Bob to complete his Doctoral studies without dissertation in 1959. During his summer breaks from the University Bob worked as a delivery driver for Landry's Laundry.  He was given his own truck, and was left on his own to develop his own pick-up and delivery route.  Bob was so successful at this seasonal position that the owners of the company had to restructure the commission program to bring down payroll expenses.

In 1959 Bob became an educator at both St. Francis High School (1959-1961) and St. Francis College (1959-1976), teaching French and Humanities. The young couple settled to an apartment on Pool Road in Biddeford.  In 1961 they moved to an apartment on Lafayette Street when they welcomed their second son, Jean Pierre.  In 1963 they found, purchased and winterized a home at Biddeford Pool and welcomed a third son, Robert in 1965. Bob started as an Instructor then becoming an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and finally Professor of French and Humanities during his years at St. Francis College. The Class of 1963 dedicated the year book to Bob for his efforts to inspire them to greater achievements.  In 1974 he received a Master of Arts in Quebecois Literature during a sabbatical at Laval University in Quebec.  In 1976 St. Francis College transitioned to the University of New England and many of the Humanities faculty were let go.  Bob shifted careers and became an appliance salesman at Vic's Appliance Center, in Saco for eight years and again was very successful.  Bob's passion for teaching never waned, and he returned to teaching at Dover Regional High School in Dover, New Hampshire for four years.  Following the closing of Pease Air Force Base he transitioned to the Scarborough Middle School.  The administration recognized his exceptional teaching abilities and asked Bob to teach a course for the gifted and talented 8th grade students, a role he embraced until his retirement in 1995. In addition to his teaching career he was a Guest Lecturer at St. Joseph College in the "Humanities Lecture Series; Lecturer at the Franco-American Institute of Lewiston on "Quebecois Literature"; Guest Lecturer at University of Maine Orono and University of Maine Presque Isle on "Franco-American Education";  and taught "the U.S. Catechism for adults (14yrs.).

Bob was a man of great faith and gave generously of himself to his church and community.  His deep prayer life, as well as his many years of serving on various parish councils, pastoral teams and prayer groups, led him to realize that he was called to be a deacon in the Catholic Church. He enrolled in the Loyola University extension courses and successfully completed his studies, being ordained a deacon in 2001 at the age of 71. Bob dedicated his remaining years to serving his community as a beloved deacon bringing communion to shut-ins and nursing homes, assisting in Masses and conducting many grave side committals.

Outside of work Bob enjoyed fishing; especially brook fishing, which is a love he learned as a boy from his father.  Bob spent countless hours alongside many of the brooks in the Lyman, Dayton and Hollis area looking for pools of Brook Trout. One of his most memorable fishing trips that he shared with his own son's was to Enchanted Lake near Jackman, where they were dropped off by floatplane and left for six days.  Bob and his son's also spent time mackerel fishing at Biddeford Pool.  They generously shared the fish they caught with the sisters at the Marie-Joseph Convent.  He was an avid tennis player and spent many hours playing at the courts behind St. Francis College on the river, joining pick-up matches with the "old guys" at Fortune Rocks as he cycled by with tennis racket in tow. He enjoyed Blueberry, Strawberry and Raspberry picking never missing a season and dropping off samples to various members of his family. He taught his boys to play golf and played 9 holes a week with them until he was 88.  In the early years of home ownership he loved to salvage building materials from old inns that were in the process of being demolished to be repurposed for home renovations.  There were many family camping trips when the boys were young to locations all over Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Upstate New York, taking in many of the attractions of the local areas. Bob and Muriel liked to cycle and would often take a ride from Biddeford Pool to Cape Porpoise for breakfast or lunch, then would load up the bikes and drive to the Eastern trail and ride different sections.  They also traveled to many holy sites in Europe and the Middle East including Medjugorge and Jerusalem.  They travelled to Hawaii for their 40th wedding anniversary, taking helicopter tours of the Na Pali coast of Kauai and the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island Hawai'i, flying through the Caldera several times.

Bob is preceded in death by his son Robert Francis Parenteau; and by his eleven siblings, Fernande Charland, Lionel Parenteau, Marcel Parenteau, Gerard Parenteau, Theresa Fornier, Lucille Pinette, Joseph Parenteau, Doris Parenteau, Aline Cote, Beatrice Villandry and Normand Parenteau.

He is survived his wife Muriel Parenteau of nearly 67 years; by his two sons, Marc Robert Parenteau and wife Pam, and Jean-Pierre Parenteau and wife Ellen; by his four grandchildren, Thomas, Lily, Samuel and Lucas; as well as by several nieces and nephews.

Visiting Hours are from 4-6PM on Monday, July 15, 2024, at Cote Funeral Home in Saco. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00AM on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at St. Joseph Church in Biddeford.  Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, Biddeford.