Doris M. Poisson

DRACUT - Ms. Doris Poisson, HOMI, 94, passed away peacefully with her family by her side at the Lowell General Hospital in the early hours of Sunday, February 28. Doris had previously been at D'Youville Senior Care for a number of years and suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Born in Lowell on July 15, 1921, she was a daughter of the late Ludger and Eva (Berard) Poisson.

During World War II, Doris worked at the Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown, she had also worked for the Navy Separation Center in Boston and the Navy Redistribution Center in Lawrence.

Doris was a long-time friend of the Oblates and a former employee who devoted much of her working life to the Oblates. She was very active in many other areas of a religious nature and was named an Honorary Oblate by Rome in February of 1979. She was installed on June 24, 1979 in St. Jean Baptiste Church, Lowell.

Doris worked in the provincial offices on Nesmith Street in Lowell, MA, in Worcester, MA, Hudson, NH, and at Wyman Street, Lowell, MA. She retired in January of 2003.

Doris was on the Pro Maria Committee with Fr. Joseph Debergh, OMI for over 25 years and had a devotion to Our Lady of Beauraing. She assisted Fr. Debergh, who authored a book entitled, Our Lady of Beauraing. She was co-founder of the NE Office of Bearings, which offered assistance to laicized religious; she participated in sessions of the Pastoral Planning Program of the Archdiocese of Boston; she volunteered her services to provide transportation for handicapped people; she was a member of the Retreat League of the Oblate Retreat House in Hudson, NH; she maintained the former Northern Province archives and oversaw their transfer to Washington, D.C. before her retirement.

Doris, a 1936 graduate of St. Louis School in Lowell, was the first recipient of the Distinguished Graduate Award presented to her during catholic schools week in 1979. This award recognized her long time dedication to the Catholic community. At that time, an article ran in the newspaper and, when asked what her dearest accomplishment was, she stated that it was being named an Honorary Oblate. She went on to say proudly, "That means I share in the prayers of the religious congregation while I am alive and after my death".

During her 50 years as a member of the former Ste. Jeanne d'Arc Parish in Lowell, she served on the Parish Council, was a CCD teacher, Eucharistic Minister, Lector and brought Holy Communion to the homebound. Since 2002 she was a Eucharistic Minister at a local nursing home.

Doris was also the proprietor of the Queen Beauty Salon in Lowell.

Doris was predeceased by three brothers, Leo, Andre and Armand Poisson, and a sister, Agnes Brand.
She is survived by two sisters, Claire Contardo and her husband Dominic of Lowell and Estelle Decker of Chelmsford; a brother, Arthur J. Poisson and his wife Mary Lou of Palm Beach, FL; also many nieces, nephews and good friends all of whom were blessings during her life.