Dolore L. Laroche

HIGHGATE – Dolore L. Laroche, age 80, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2021, with his family by his side at the Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans.

He was born in East Highgate on July 8, 1940 to the late Leonard & Rachel (Gagne) Laroche.

Dolore married the love of his life, Barbara (Burleson) on May 5, 1962, and began their family. He dedicated time to the Army National Guard and the Army Reserves and was a proud member of the Alburgh Knights of Columbus. Dolore was very involved in the St. Louis Catholic Church in Highgate, and later in life made rosaries that were shipped to Africa, a craft that Barbara taught him. Dolore worked for many local farms as a Herdsman. He loved watching wrestling with his kids, hooting and hollering, cheering on his favorite wrestlers. He kept busy in his gardens, growing lots of tomato plants and other veggies, a talent he also used while working at Hamlen’s Garden Center. Dolore loved woodworking, creating birdhouses that resembled the family sugarhouse, working on the family tree with lots of genealogy research and puttered on small engines. 

He is survived by his children, Robert Laroche and his wife Colleen Billado of East Fairfield, Steven Laroche and his wife Jane of Highgate, Matthew Laroche and his wife Debbie of St. Albans, Dolores Mattox and her husband Chris of Missouri, and Raymond Laroche and his wife Holly of Berkshire; grandchildren, Michael and Christopher Laroche, Kayleigh Covillon, Phaygan White, Emily LeClair, Tony Kova, Miha Longmore, Martina Mattox, Thomas Laroche, and Clayton and Grace Tessier; 13 great grandchildren; siblings, Germain Laroche and his wife Jane, Eli Laroche and his wife Sheila, Denise Juaire and her husband Ronald, Celine Thompson, Loretta Laroche, and Francine Charbonneau and her husband Lionel; sisters-in-law, Charlotte Laroche and Ruth Laroche; many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. Besides his parents, Dolore was predeceased by his wife Barbara in 2016; siblings, Gilles Laroche, Allan Laroche and Rosemarie St. Pierre; brothers-in-law, Rene St. Pierre, and David Thompson; and a grandson, David Laroche.  

Family and friends are invited to Dolore’s Life Celebration events to include visitation on Friday, July 2, 2021, from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM at Goss Life Celebration Home, 89 Grand Ave., Swanton, VT 05488 with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 1:00 PM at the St. Louis Catholic Church, Lamkin St., Highgate, VT 05459. Interment will follow in the St. Louis Catholic Cemetery, Lamkin St., Highgate.

For those who wish, contributions in Dolore’s memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 110 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401.

Goss Life Celebration Homes is the area’s exclusive provider of Life Celebration events. Please visit our website to share condolences, photos and favorite memories at www.gossfs.com