Obituary of Ben F. DesRoches

DesROCHES, Ben F. With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Ben at age 81 on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Loving husband of Dorothy (Prince, nee Tilston). He will be sadly missed by his son Frank and his wife Sandy, his daughter Joan and her husband Rick Smith and his stepdaughter Kathy and her husband Gord Dupuis. Ben will also be greatly missed by his grandsons Christopher and Jason DesRoches and their families and by his granddaughters Chelsey, Meagan and Bianca Smith and Sharon Munn. Ben is survived by his brothers Holden (wife Loretta) and Allain (Marilyn) and sister Hazel Drisdelle all of N.B. and sisters, Susan (Bill) Woitowicz and Marie Jenkins of Hamilton. He is also survived by sisters-in-law Stella DeRoche, Lillian DesRoches and Lucienne DesRoches all of N.B. and by sister-in-law and brother-in-law Lillian and Casey Schouten of Burlington. Ben was predeceased by brothers Henry, George and Leonard and sister-in-law Ruth all of N.B. and by brother John Martin and his wife Dora of Massachusetts. He will be missed by many friends in N.B. (in particular, the Cormier family) and by many friends and neighbours in Winona, Stoney Creek and Hamilton, particularly in the political arena and in the United Steelworkers. Ben was born in Barryville, N.B., moving to Hamilton in 1949. He worked at Stelco for 16 years, then served as a Staff Representative for the United Steelworkers’ Union for 24 years, retiring in 1989 to work on his hobby fruit farm in Winona for more than 18 years. In the 1960’s and 70’s Ben was a member of the Winona Men’s Club, and he served on municipal council for the former Saltfleet Township and City of Stoney Creek. Also, during that same period, Ben served as Recording Secretary for the Stoney Creek Lions Club, and was active in the Men’s Club of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Winona. Over the years, he was a volunteer and proud supporter of the Winona Peach Festival. When Ben moved to Ontario in 1949, he joined the CCF. In the early 1960’s he helped organize Canada’s NDP and was instrumental in electing Tommy Douglas, the first leader of the federal NDP, and was proud to be associated with David Lewis when he became leader of the federal NDP. Ben always gave back to his community and worked hard to improve the standard of living for all. After his retirement, Ben wrote his memoirs The Union That Changed My Life Forever where he recorded his impressions of growing up in N.B., his employment at Stelco and Steelworkers’ International Union and his membership of Local 1005 United Steelworkers. Cremation has taken place. Friends will be received at the Donald V. Brown Funeral Home, 36 Lake Avenue Drive, Stoney Creek, on Thursday, May 6th from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. (Prayers at 6 p.m.) Funeral Mass will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 934 Highway #8, Stoney Creek on Friday, May 7th at 11 a.m. Inurnment to follow at Our Lady of the Angels Cemetery, Stoney Creek. If desired, memorial donations may be made to either Immaculate Heart of Mary Building Fund or to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. On line condolences may be sent at www.donaldvbrown.ca