Bernard Doucette

Bernard Doucette , WWII veteran, POW, musician, gardener, fried-clam-lover and beloved family and friend of many, died on Saturday, May 24, 2014.

Known as "Bernie" to his family and "B.D." to his army comrades, he lived and loved to the fullest extent for 92 years, 4 months and 4 days.

Born January 20, 1922 to parents from Nova Scotia, Bernie spoke not a word of English when he started school. He was an avid runner and competed in many races.

Bernie worked incredibly hard from a very young age, delivering groceries by horse and wagon and caring for the horses in the stable of Atkinson's Grocery Store in Reading, MA. He later worked at a stove foundry and used his connections there to win the lady of his dreams - by delivering a brand new stove to her mother who then insisted they marry.

In 1942 he voluntarily enlisted in the army reconnaissance on the promise of a hot meal each night.

Bernie fought through five major campaigns and received numerous medals.

He landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day and fought at St. Lo. December 24, 1944 he was captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge and remained a prisoner of war for four months before being liberated by the Russians.

He had an amazing way to cope - by telling the happy stories and turning his near misses with death into comedy sketches.

An injured corporal was placed in a wheelbarrow and run across a field towards waving medics. It turns out they were waving him away from the minefield he had just crossed.

Unable to swim, B.D. put two life vests on as the landing boats approached the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. The incredible buoyancy put him waist high in water as bullets whizzed past his head.

He laughed like mad when he told these stories.

He spent the last few decades of his life speaking to local public schools, where he emphasized his strong abhorrence to smoking. Bernie's father died of throat cancer when he was very young from smoking a tobacco pipe. As a prisoner of war, he traded his cigarettes for bread and credits that (and a whole lot of luck) to narrowly saving his life.

His army years would profoundly affect him for the rest of his life - he treasured every single day, song he heard, friendly face he met, cold beer he drank.

After the war, he worked his way up from a tool and die maker at Raytheon to negotiating bicoastal labor deals between unions and the president of the company.

Always the life of the party and very musically gifted, you would often find him dancing, playing an instrument (accordion, piano, organ) or singing. When he could no longer dance or play, he went around the halls of the Bedford VA in his wheelchair singing, "I don't know why I love you like I do…"

His wife of 66 years, Mary Doucette of Malden, MA passed away in March of 2009. He is survived by his daughter Teresa Grady, son-in-law Philip Grady and granddaughter Jennifer Grady.

Funeral from the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Saturday at 9am followed a Funeral Mass in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St., Wakefield at 10am. Visitation will be held at the Funeral Home on Friday from 4-8pm. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Winchester.

Memorial contributions may be made to the E.N. Rogers Memorial Veteran Hospital, Building 4B, 200 Spring St., Bedford, MA 01730.

May 30, 2014
4:00 PM to 8:00 PM

McDonald Funeral Home
19 Yale Ave
Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 245-3550

May 31, 2014
10:00 AM

St. Joseph Church
173 Albion St.
Wakefield, MA 01880