Leora E. Desmarais

Leora E. Desmarais, 85, resident of Milford, NH, died August 31, 2012 at Aynsley Place, Nashua, NH, surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Boston, MA on July 13, 1927, a daughter of Eugene and Cora M. (Longa) Haight. Following the death of her mother, she was raised by her father and stepmother, Jessie Haight. Mrs. Desmarais lived in Milford for a year and previously made her home in Amherst, NH for 60 years. A registered nurse, she earned her nursing degree from Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 1948 through the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corp. Program. She worked at Nashua Memorial Hospital for over 30 years, working in the intensive care unit for many years and the surgical short stay unit when it was first established. She enjoyed organic gardening, golfing, skiing, reading, ballroom dancing and vacationing with her family at the beach. She had a great love of nature and was a caretaker for the Ponemah Bog for several years. While living at Ledgewood Bay in Milford, she was fondly known as “the walker”. She was a dedicated and loving mother and a devoted grandmother. She was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Raymond L. Desmarais, who died in 2010. Family members include four sons and daughters-in-law, Charles and Ann Desmarais, Thomas and Colleen Desmarais, Steven and Sarah Desmarais, all of Amherst, Gerald Desmarais and Gail Young of Montpelier, VT; a daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Peter Warren of Amherst; seven grandchildren, Nicholas Warren and his wife, Rheanna Cote, Alena Warren, Kate Desmarais, Ryan and Caleb Desmarais, Sophia and Grace Desmarais; two brothers and a sister-in-law, Eugene F. Haight of Exeter, NH, Charles M. and Bernadette Haight of Nashua, NH; a sister and brother-in-law, Charlotte and Anthony Silva of Merrimack, NH; a sister-in-law, Mary Castonguay and her husband Henry of Nashua; 3 brothers-in-law, Edward Desmarais of Jupiter, Florida, Robert Desmarais and his wife Ellen of Green Bay, WI, and Ralph Desmarais and his wife Nancy of Little Rock, AR; many nieces and nephews. Visiting hours are Wednesday, September 5th from 4:00-7:00 pm in the Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford. A memorial gathering will be held on Thursday at 11:00 am at the Mile Away Restaurant, 52 Federal Hill Road, Milford. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Share Outreach, Inc., 1 Columbus Avenue, Milford, NH 03055.