Arthur O. LeDuc

Arthur LeDuc, 86, died in Lowell after a brief illness on July 23, 2009, surrounded by his family. He was the loving husband of the late Laura (Dubois) LeDuc, who died in 2003.

Arthur was born in Lowell on December 3, 1922 to the late Philippe LeDuc and Maria (Neault) LeDuc, one of thirteen children. He attended Lowell schools and at the age of fourteen joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, serving in New Hampshire and Vermont until June of 1941.

Mr. LeDuc was an Army veteran of WWII, enlisting the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941. A machine gunner in the 809th Engineers Aviation Battalion, he participated in several major battle campaigns in the European Theatre, seeing heavy action during the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. Mr. LeDuc was discharged from the Army shortly after the war ended and eight days later he wed his beloved Laura Dubois, with whom he enjoyed 58 years of marriage until her death in 2003. Mr. and Mrs. LeDuc raised their family of six children in Lowell, where Arthur retired from Compco Incorporated as a chief inspector in 1987. For the past 21 years Mr. LeDuc has resided in Dracut and was a parishioner of Saint Mary Magdalen Church. He has also been a member of The Third Order of St. Francis since 1950.

Arthur was a loving husband and father, a wonderful friend, and an awesome "pepere" to his many grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was known for his kindness, his faith, and his great sense of humor. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Survivors include a son Robert LeDuc and his wife Priscilla of Dracut; four daughters, Angie Decker and her husband Michael of Dracut; Theresa Starbird and her husband Robert of Tyngsboro; Jeanne Brissette and her husband Roger of Dracut; and Priscilla Wojcik and her husband John of Tyngsboro; ten grandsons, Robert LeDuc, James LeDuc, David LeDuc, Robert Beaudry, Mark Beaudry, Shawn Starbird, Roger Perron, Brian Brissette, Michael Wojcik, and Jason Wojcik; nine grand-daughters, Laurie Bastien, Andrea Nogler, Karen Decker, Susan Decker, Michaele Ann Alejandro, Leah LeDuc, Dawn DeMeo, Sherry Morris, and Emily Wojcik; three sisters, Lillian Ninteau, Doris Cote, and Florence Riley; and two brothers, William LeDuc and Francis LeDuc. He also leaves eighteen great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, many nieces and nephews, and a very dear friend and companion, Barbara Garneau of Lowell.

He was also the father of the late Louis LeDuc, and the brother of the late Edward LeDuc, Philippe LeDuc, Cecille LeDuc, Florida Levigne, Alice Boisvert, Aurore Breault, and Irene Vaillancourt.