Obituary of Wilfred Lionel Roach

Wilfred Lionel (Leo) Roach
May 16, 1940 – March 16, 2024
Burgeo, NL

With heavy hearts and deep sadness, the family of the late Wilfred Lionel (Leo) Roach announce his passing at his home in Burgeo surrounded by his family.

Leaving to mourn with fond and loving memories are his wife of 55 years: June; sons: Tom (Peggy) and Jason (Joanne); special grandson: Jonathan (Sabrina), and the absolute light of his life, his precious granddaughter: Lexie; sister: Sylvia (Bernie); sisters-in-law: Mary, Agnes; brothers-in-law: John, Victor, Frank (Jaunita), as well as a large number of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends, all of whom he treasured.

Predeceased by his parents: Stanley and Marie Mae Roach; parents-in-law: Thomas and Dorcas Warren; brother: Joseph; sisters: Loretta and Therese; brothers-in-law: Wilfred, George, Stanley, William, and Vernon; and sister-in-law: Annie.

Leo was born and raised in Cheticamp, NS. Operating heavy equipment and mechanics came naturally to him and he always had a smile on his face when he stepped into a loader or a backhoe. As for the mechanics, it was always said that “if Leo couldn’t fix it, then maybe it wasn’t broken”. He spent his early years as a Chief Engineer with Irving Oil, making runs to the high Arctic. He first came to Burgeo in the early 60’s on the Caribou Reefer. He always remarked how well the people of Burgeo treated him when he first came to town and didn’t know anyone. It was at this time he met the love of his life June and decided to make Burgeo his home. He then went back to work in construction and helped build the roads and waterlines through Burgeo. Eventually, he went to work with National Sea Products as a Marine Manager until he retired for the first time in 1992. Not one to stay home or to be idle, even in retirement he kept busy operating heavy equipment or fixing things. He loved to be busy.

When he wasn’t working, he loved spending time at his cabin on Peter Strides Lake. He passed his time there doing the things he loved like hunting, fishing, boating, cutting wood, snowmobiling, and riding on his side-by-side with his wife, close friends, and family. In his later years, he loved planting and tending to his little garden with his granddaughter Lexie and just being around his family and friends. He never lost his love of tinkering with motors or fixing things. He was rarely idle, until 8:30 in the evenings when everything was put down to watch “his show”, The Young and The Restless.

He was never a person for causes or such things, so in lieu of flowers and donations, please remember him by doing random acts of kindness and being nice to each other. That was how he would have wanted it, that was how he lived.

Cremation has taken place. There will be no services held at this time.