Eugenie M. (Ducharme) Gauthier

Eugenie M. (Ducharme) Gauthier, 93 a long-time resident of Dracut, died peacefully on May 18, 2012 at the Northwood Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Lowell. She was the daughter of the late Alberic and Eva (Archambault) Ducharme. She was the wife of Raymond H. Gauthier who died in 1995.
Eugenie was born in Lowell on December 18, 1918. She attended St. Joseph grammar and high school from which she graduated in 1936. Eugenie also attended Bradshaw Business School in 1939 where she acquired secretarial and business skills. She worked for many years at the Lowell Institution for Savings Bank. In 1949, Eugenie married Raymond Gauthier and they built a house and moved to Dracut. There, she greatly enjoyed her years as a homemaker while her children were growing. When her children were on their own, Eugenie returned to the business world working as a part – time bookkeeper at the Dracut Center Pharmacy, the business owned by her brother's family.
Eugenie enjoyed sewing and knitting and spending time with her family and friends. She greatly enjoyed her granddaughters and the stories of their latest adventures. Eugenie enjoyed music and was an accomplished pianist and singer in her younger days. Her greatest joy was attending musicals, concerts and plays with her friends. In her later years, Eugenie looked forward to her weekend outings with her friends which typically included dinner and a social event. Eugenie was proud of her Franco-American heritage, fluent in French and attended many local events celebrating her French heritage. She was a member of the Cercle Jeanne Mance for greater than 60 years and a member of the D'Youville Ladies Guild.
Eugenie was a woman of strong faith, attending the St. Louis de France parish for many years prior to its closure. In later years, Eugenie attend St. Francis Parish in Dracut. She had a life-long devotion to St. Joseph.
She is survived by her son, Paul and his wife, Kathy Gauthier, her granddaughters, Renee and Tracey Gauthier of Dracut, her daughter and long-time care-giver, Lise Gauthier of Dracut and companion Daniel Kennedy of Hudson, NH, her daughter and care-givers for the past two years, Michelle Gauthier and Betty-Anne Herget of Pepperell. She is also survived by two sisters-in law, June B. Ducharme and Gladys Gauthier and many nieces and nephews. She also leaves her long-time friends, Pauline Allard, Pauline Rousseau, Jeannette Barry and Gertrude Masse, all from the Greater-Lowell area. She was predeceased by her brother, Joseph A Ducharme.