Col. Charles R. Larouche, USMC (ret'd)
December 27, 1919 to February 1, 2010
After
a valiant 14-year battle, Col Charles R. Larouche succumbed to Parkinson
Disease at his home in Camperdown, Nova Scotia on February 1, 2010. He
was born in Old Town, Maine a son of Jean Charles Larouche and Leontine
(St. Pierre) Larouche. After graduating from Milo High School in 1938,
he won a tuition scholarship in a public speaking contest to Staley College
of the Spoken Word in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he attended from
1940 to 1942. The morning after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he volunteered
for enlistment in the US Marine Corps. In the face of intense enemy fire,
Charles Larouche fought in the Infantry in the South Pacific Battles for
Guadalcanal, Tarawa (where he was wounded), Saipan, and Tinian. In Officer
Candidate School he marched in Pres Franklin D Roosevelt’s funeral procession
and burial. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki probably saved
his life, because he was slated as an Infantry 2nd Lieutenant to invade
Japan. On the GI bill, he graduated from Suffolk Law School Summa Cum
Laude in 1948 and was one of the 33% who passed the Mass Bar Exam.
On active commission Captain Larouche served during the Korean conflict
in Japan as Defense and then (Prosecution) Trial Counsel in General Courts
Marshal, 1953 to 1954. In 1955, he briefed and argued cases on appeal
to the US Court of Military Appeals. In 1958, as a Major he executed 6
amphibious assault exercises jointly with the Italian Army and British
and Spanish Marines in the Mediterranean. In 1962, Charles taught naval
law at the US Naval Justice School, Newport, RI. In 1964, he went to Command
and Staff College, Quantico, VA and acted as Legislative Attorney in the
Pentagon in 1965. Requesting assignment in Vietnam, Lt Col Larouche set
up a legal office in Red Beach, Da Nang under primitive conditions, 1966
to 1967. Back in Washington he became Director of the Appellate Div, Office
of Judge Advocate General, directing 12 lawyers briefing and arguing court
martial cases on appeal before the US Court of Military Appeals. Col Larouche
was appointed Appellate Military Judge on the US Navy Court of Military
Review and so served until his retirement in 1970.
Retired from the US Marine Corps after 18 years as a commissioned officer,
he served as one of the 13 Assistant Attorneys General for the State of
Maine. He achieved a highly successful settlement for the State of Maine
in the US Supreme Court over the fishermen’s boundary waters dispute between
ME and NH. He also won a landmark decision in the ME and US Supreme Courts,
resulting in the national Elks and Moose organizations, repealing racial
and religious discrimination by-laws.
In 1975 Charles retired to Nova Scotia to do “full time fishing and hunting.”
With the enthusiastic assistance of his five Labs and many beagles (Obedience
Trial and Field Trial Champions he trained) he hunted deer, rabbits, all
game birds, and waterfowl. His beloved black Lab Otello was the first
dog from Atlantic Canada to win the three titles of Canadian Field Trial
Champion and Amateur Field Trial Champion and US Field Champion. Charles
played the leading role in Voltaire’s Imaginary Invalid at the South Shore
Playhouse Theater.
Col Charles R Larouche was awarded the following medals: Purple Heart,
US Navy Commendation with Combat V, US Navy Commendation with Gold Star,
Presidential Unit Citations with 1 Star, Good Conduct Medal, American
Campaign, Asiatic Pacific Campaign with 4 stars, Victory WWII, Korean
Service, United Nations Service, Vietnam Service with 2 stars, Vietnam
Campaign with Device, MUC of Gallantry Cross with Fern and Palm, US Navy
Unit Commendation, and Letter of Commendation.
He was a member of the Bar of the following courts: Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
Federal District Court of Massachusetts, US Court of Appeals, US Court
of Military Appeals, US Supreme Court, and the Supreme Judicial Court
of Maine.
He was active in the Lunenburg County SPCA and the Lapland and District
Fire Dept.
He is the last remaining brother of five brothers and one sister. His
brothers: Jean ”Roland” died on Dec 17, 2004 at age 97, Maurice “Eddie”
died May 22, 2006 at age 91, Virgil V. died August 13, 2002, and his twin
Oliver S. died April 12, 1996. One sister Olive died in 1918 during the
influenza epidemic. Charles’ son Jeffrey C. died at age 29 on April 7,
1984. Son-in-law Constantine N Sgouros died at age 55 on July 12, 2009.
He is survived by his wife Marjorie (Hickman) Larouche of 34 years; his
former wife Ann (Kalafatas) Larouche of 20 years; 2 daughters Roxane M
Larouche, NP and Dr Stephanie J (Larouche) Sgouros; 2 grandchildren Angelica
and Rebecca Sgouros; son-in-law Richard J Albano; and numerous members
of the Hickman family.
In accordance with his wishes, Charles will be cremated. Funeral Service
will be held Friday, February 5 at 2:00 PM at the Bridgewater Baptist
Church, King St, Bridgewater, NS. Reception to follow will be held at
Hebbs Cross Fire Hall, Hebbs Cross. Later in the Spring a Memorial Service
will be held at “Twin’s Nest” on Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, West Old Town,
Maine.
Private messages of condolence may be sent to the family by visiting www.sweenysfuneralhome.com.
Donations may be made to Parkinson Society Maritime Region (www.parkinsonmaritimes.ca),
National Parkinson Foundation (www.parkinson.org), SPCA, and Ducks Unlimited.