Having a death in the family is always hard. Suffering more than one death at the same time is even more sorrowful. In one week, we lost three of our beloved brothers, all of whom lived at our fraternities in Yonkers, N.Y. Fr. Eugene O’Hara and Fr. Don Bosco Duquette were a part of St. Clare Friary, our senior fraternity; Br. Roger Deguire was part of Sacred Heart Friary and a pillar of the parish community. All of them died at home. All of them are missed very much.

The following obituaries only hint at the richness of the lives these outstanding friars lived. But God knows their character and their faith, and so do we who were privileged to live, pray, and work with them.

Fr. Eugene O’Hara

Fr. Eugene O’Hara passed peacefully on Aug. 26; he was 89 years old.

Peter O’Hara was born in Manhattan on Jan. 27, 1935. He graduated from Glenclyffe, the Capuchins’ high school seminary in Garrison, N.Y., in 1953, and was invested as a novice in Milton, Mass., on Aug. 31 that same year. He made his perpetual profession of vows on Sept. 1, 1957. After studies at Mary Immaculate Friary in Garrison and St. Anthony Friary in Hudson, N.H., he was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1961.

He began his ministerial career in 1962 at Sacred Heart Parish, Yonkers, as parochial assistant and religion teacher at the parish high school. Administration and education would be his apostolate for the next two decades, serving as prefect and professor at St. Mary Seminary in Garrison, then professor at St. Anthony in Hudson, then administrator at Sacred Heart High School in Yonkers.

A new chapter began in 1982 when Father Eugene became director of the Capuchin Mission Association at St. John the Baptist Friary in New York City. For 12 years he was a support for our friars serving in our international missions. This champion of our missionary brothers then himself became a missionary for two years, with one year in Guam and one year in Hawaii.

In 1996, Father Eugene came to St. Fidelis Friary in Interlaken, N.Y., and became pastor of St. James the Apostle Parish in Trumansburg, N.Y. Except for a two-year interlude at St. John XXIII Friary in Seminole, Fla. (2006-2008), he served the people of God in the Finger Lakes region for the next 17 years.

In 2013, Father Eugene retired from active ministry but continued to reside at St. Fidelis for six more years. He resided at St. Clare Friary from December 2019 until his death. He was pre-deceased by his parents Peter and Nora. He is survived by a sister, Ann; a niece, Maureen; and others.

Br. Roger Deguire

Br. Roger Deguire died on Sept. 1 at the age of 71.

Brother Roger, the son of Stanislaus J. and Alice B. Laplante-Deguire, was born on June 4, 1953, in Woonsocket, R.I. He entered postulancy at Mary Immaculate Friary, Garrison, N.Y., on Jan. 31, 1976, and then novitiate at St. Lawrence Friary, Milton, Mass., on Aug. 31, 1976. Brother Roger pronounced his first vows on Aug. 16, 1977.

Brother Roger continued his religious formation at St. Anthony Friary, Hudson, N.H., 1977-79. He professed his perpetual vows on June 20, 1981, and resided at Mary Immaculate Friary, Garrison, N.Y., until 1984; there, he served as the house tailor.

In 1984, Brother Roger was transferred to St. John the Baptist Friary, New York City, where he earned his B.A. from Fordham University and ministered to AIDS patients at St. Clare Hospital, New York City.

For the next 29 years, Br. Roger resided and ministered in Sacred Heart and St. Clare Friary, Yonkers. In 1995, he served the Sacred Heart fraternity as fraternal vicar and also as parochial associate of Sacred Heart Parish until 2011. Brother Roger served as the curator of the Capuchin Heritage Museum since 2002, provincial archivist since 2008, and part-time Sacred Heart Parish staff until his death.

Brother Roger is survived by his brother Paul; his sister Jeanne Deguire-Crepeau; his sister Lucille Deguire; his brother Richard; his brother Roland; his sister Helene Beauregard; his nieces and nephews; and many lasting friends and parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, hundreds of whom attended his funeral on Sept. 7.

Fr. Don Bosco Duquette

Fr. Don Bosco Duquette died suddenly on the evening of Sept. 1 at the age of 92.

John Duquette was born to John W. and Susan F. Hickey-Duquette in Pittsfield, Mass., on April 29, 1932. He attended Craneville Elementary School, Dalton, Mass.; Dalton High School, Dalton; St. Joseph High School, Pittsfield; and Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass. John served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1957 and received an honorable discharge as Specialist Second Class. Before entering religious life, John worked as a landscaper during the summer months and as a credit manager for the Manchester Union-Leader.

John entered the novitiate at St. Lawrence Friary, Milton, Mass., receiving the name Don Bosco on Aug. 31, 1959. He pronounced his first vows on Sept. 1, 1960, and perpetual vows on Sept. 1, 1963, at Mary Immaculate Friary, Garrison. Father Don Bosco resided at St. Anthony Friary, Hudson, N.H. for one year, where he completed his philosophy requirements, and at Capuchin Theological Seminary, Garrison, for four years for his theological studies. He also studied at St. Paul’s University, Ottawa, Ont., Canada, receiving his S.T.L. in 1966. Father Don Bosco was ordained to the priesthood in Garrison on Nov. 28, 1964.

Father Don Bosco’s first assignment was working in the Catholic Information Society (1966-69), residing at St. John the Baptist Friary in New York City and then at St. Pius X Friary, Middletown, Conn. For the next seven years, he served as the novice master at St. Lawrence Friary, Milton.

Father Don Bosco was elected and served as vicar provincial minister from 1976 to 1981; and as provincial minister from 1981 to 1984, residing at St. Conrad Friary, White Plains, N.Y.

For the next 26 years, Father Don Bosco ministered as a vicar and parochial assistant at Sacred Heart Parish, Yonkers (1984-1987); St. Pius X, Middletown, Conn. (1987-1993); and St. Joseph, Portland, Me. (1993-2010).

After retiring, he requested to return to St. Pius X, and as a senior friar, he offered parochial assistance and supply ministry. His challenging health issues led him to his final residence at St. Clare Friary in 2019, where he happily remained with his brothers until his death.

Father Don Bosco was survived by his sister, Kathleen Penna of Pittsfield; his sister-in-law, Judith Duquette of Dalton; and his nieces and nephews. He was fondly remembered by many parishioners, with whom he kept in contact, of Sacred Heart Parish, Yonkers; St. Pius X Parish, Middletown; and St. Joseph Parish, Portland.

You can read more about Father Don Bosco in our feature article.