Obituary for Leo B. Heroux
Leo Bruno Héroux, age 96, passed away Friday, 25 October 2019 at the Rhode Island Veterans Home in Bristol, RI. He was the husband of the late Anne-Marie (Broeckx) Héroux of Normandy, France.
Leo was born in Lowell, MA on 21 September 1923 to Fortunat Héroux and Anysie (Rousseau) Héroux. At a very young age, he and his family moved to Central Falls, RI where he attended Sacred Heart Academy and later worked as a dyeing machine tender in Lincoln, RI. He was drafted into the Army during WWII and participated bravely in the D-Day landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.
For his military service, Leo received the French Croix de Guerre and the French Legion of Honor Medal, which he is wearing in the photo, as well as the American-African-Middle Eastern Service medal with arrowhead.
Leo met his future wife, Anne-Marie, in Normandy, France shortly after landing at Omaha beach. They were married in Central Falls, RI on 25 January 1947, had one child (Norman) and then he and his wife and son moved to Coleville sur Mer in Normandy, France where he resided over 40 years, working as a driving school instructor before returning to Central Falls, RI after the death of his wife.
Memorable occasions in Leo’s life, following his D-Day experience, include taking the WWII Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. and laying a wreath at the statue of General Rochambeau in Newport, RI to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. In 2006 he returned to Normandy, France with four other WWII veterans from Rhode Island to participate in the filming of the documentary THE PRICE OF FREEDOM by Tim Gray. He also was part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the 2018 opening of the WWII Foundation Education Center in South Kingston, RI. In addition, he enjoyed addressing Professor Regina Bell’s Communication class at the University of Rhode Island regarding his WW II experiences.
Leo is survived by his four children: Norman Héroux (and wife Lilliane) of Sorgues, France, Nancy Héroux (and husband Gilles Thériault) of Montreal, Canada, Béatrice Vial (and husband Gérard Vial) of Caromb, France and Leslie Héroux (and wife Arlène) of Sorgues, France. He leaves 9 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces, especially Lorraine Heroux of Central Falls, RI and Ronald Heroux of Middletown, RI who provided care for Leo over many years.
Besides his wife and his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers: Antonio, Edouard and Rodrique Héroux.
A Memorial Service and a celebration of Leo’s life for family and friends will be held Saturday Nov 30th, 11AM, at LeFoyer club (lower level) 151 Fountain St., Pawtucket, RI. Please send confirmation of your attendance to Ron at frannie542@aol.com or by phoning 401-339-2839. Donations in his memory may be made to the Rhode Island Veterans Home, 480 Metacom Avenue, Bristol, RI 02809. The family thanks the staff of the RI Veterans Home for the excellent care provided to Leo while he was in the Home for the last year and a half of his life.
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Leo was born in Lowell, MA on 21 September 1923 to Fortunat Héroux and Anysie (Rousseau) Héroux. At a very young age, he and his family moved to Central Falls, RI where he attended Sacred Heart Academy and later worked as a dyeing machine tender in Lincoln, RI. He was drafted into the Army during WWII and participated bravely in the D-Day landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.
For his military service, Leo received the French Croix de Guerre and the French Legion of Honor Medal, which he is wearing in the photo, as well as the American-African-Middle Eastern Service medal with arrowhead.
Leo met his future wife, Anne-Marie, in Normandy, France shortly after landing at Omaha beach. They were married in Central Falls, RI on 25 January 1947, had one child (Norman) and then he and his wife and son moved to Coleville sur Mer in Normandy, France where he resided over 40 years, working as a driving school instructor before returning to Central Falls, RI after the death of his wife.
Memorable occasions in Leo’s life, following his D-Day experience, include taking the WWII Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. and laying a wreath at the statue of General Rochambeau in Newport, RI to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. In 2006 he returned to Normandy, France with four other WWII veterans from Rhode Island to participate in the filming of the documentary THE PRICE OF FREEDOM by Tim Gray. He also was part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the 2018 opening of the WWII Foundation Education Center in South Kingston, RI. In addition, he enjoyed addressing Professor Regina Bell’s Communication class at the University of Rhode Island regarding his WW II experiences.
Leo is survived by his four children: Norman Héroux (and wife Lilliane) of Sorgues, France, Nancy Héroux (and husband Gilles Thériault) of Montreal, Canada, Béatrice Vial (and husband Gérard Vial) of Caromb, France and Leslie Héroux (and wife Arlène) of Sorgues, France. He leaves 9 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces, especially Lorraine Heroux of Central Falls, RI and Ronald Heroux of Middletown, RI who provided care for Leo over many years.
Besides his wife and his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers: Antonio, Edouard and Rodrique Héroux.
A Memorial Service and a celebration of Leo’s life for family and friends will be held Saturday Nov 30th, 11AM, at LeFoyer club (lower level) 151 Fountain St., Pawtucket, RI. Please send confirmation of your attendance to Ron at frannie542@aol.com or by phoning 401-339-2839. Donations in his memory may be made to the Rhode Island Veterans Home, 480 Metacom Avenue, Bristol, RI 02809. The family thanks the staff of the RI Veterans Home for the excellent care provided to Leo while he was in the Home for the last year and a half of his life.
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