Our dear brother Rosaire Martin passed away at age 85 on July 23, 2023, after a long battle with dementia. We are very grateful to God for his precious life bestowed upon us as family members. To us he was the epitome of Love, always willing and ready to help his family members and others in need.

In his service to the community he touched many lives as a teacher, an EMT, paramedic, Boy-scout leader and Eucharistic minister.  In 2004, thanks to his friend Daryl Boucher, Maine State Governor John Baldacci presented him with the EMS Lifetime Service Award for his exemplary service.

In the following year he was once again recognized for his service in a special State House session (Special Sentiment Calendar) with the following tribute from our local Representatives:
"Rosaire Martin, of Fort Kent, who has been nominated for the EMS Lifetime Service Award for 30 years of exemplary service in northern Aroostook County. During those 3 decades, he has touched many lives, at times risking his own health to save others. For most of the past 27 years he has served as a volunteer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although he recently considered retiring from the volunteer position at Ambulance Service, Inc in Fort Kent, he felt he had more to give to the community and offered to continue [his services] in any way the company could use him. He has weathered many difficult times, but he has always kept the citizens of his beloved St. John Valley in mind. Mr. Martin has taught hundreds of CPR courses to emergency technicians and to lay personnel. He has assisted in ALS courses and has been an active member of various EMS advisory boards, organizational committees, and educational groups. He has mentored many new Emergency Medical Technicians and has provided valuable service to the EMS community, often without pay and with little formal recognition. We acknowledge his dedicated commitment to his community and to his profession and we congratulate Mr. Martin on his receiving this honor…"

Unable to serve his country in the US military due to an injury at age 15 he decided to interrupt his career as an elementary school teacher - his first career position - in order to serve in the Peace Corps for a 2-year period beginning in 1964. Upon his return from his assigned post in Somalia he shared many of his experiences through slide projector presentations with various groups of people and local clubs upon request.

Rosaire also served as an assistant Boys Scout master and as a Eucharistic minister at the local parish for many years.

He was born at home in Fort Kent on January 28, 1938, the son of Antonio (Tony) and Leone Desjardins Martin, now both deceased. At age 33 he and Claire Allard married and together raised their son Ryan who now lives in Tennessee with his wife Jennifer.

Surviving are his sisters: Doris Ouellette who was married to Reno (deceased) and Dolores Dumont with her husband Larry. Rosaire has three living brothers: Roger, who resides in Boca Raton, Florida with his wife Carole; Norman, living in Fort Kent with his wife Janet; and Joel, also in Fort Kent. Also surviving are his three adult grandchildren: Michael, Jacob, and Brandon.

He was predeceased by his brother Ronald who lived in Connecticut with his surviving wife, Paula, who continues to live there.

Words cannot express our gratitude to everyone who assisted Rosaire in one fashion or another during his final years of infirmity. Among them are Doctor James Harris for his concern and care of Rosaire whom he considered his dear friend and brother, the staff at Cross Winds for their exceptional care and abundance of personal expressions of love and affection, and Rona Daigle who played an indispensable role in seeing to his physical and emotional needs for over a period of 1-1/2 years before Rosaire was admitted at Cross Winds.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 29, 2023, at St Louis Catholic Church in Fort Kent. Internment will take place immediately after Mass. Relatives and friends may call at Lajoie Funeral Home from 8 a.m. until dismissal time for the Mass. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the church's heating system repair fund in Rosaire's memory. Alternatively give to one of Rosaire's favorite charities: Food for the Poor, 6401 Lyons Rd., Coconut Creek, Fl. 33073.