Brother Joseph L.R. "Roland" Belanger

There have been teachers in the history of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY that are remembered by their students for their dedication and inspiration. Brother Joseph Belanger is amongst that select group. Brother Joseph L.R. "Roland" Belanger was born on July 11, 1925 in Lawrence, MA into a very deeply Roman Catholic family. His mother, Leda (Matton) instilled into him a profound love of the Blessed Mother Mary. His father, Emile, was an example of work and intellectual curiosity as well as an excellent piano player. Inspired by his Marist Brother teachers at St. Anne's grammar school, Lawrence, MA, he joined them when he was 13 years old. As a Marist Brother he filled his life with prayer and work. His was a long academic journey through classrooms as a teacher in Marist Brother schools along the eastern coast of the United States. As a reflection of his search for peace in the world, he spent a year teaching English to students in Lujiang University in Xiamen, China. His dedication and service to Marist College as a professor of French and a resident are well known and appreciated by the college administration, colleagues and students. Brother Joseph died in New York City on April 21, 2010. his optimism and joy of life will be missed by his brothers and sisters: Irene and her husband Joseph Golden of Groveland, MA. Rita and her husband Ovila Cote of Bradford, MA. Emile and his wife Charlotte Belanger of Hobe Sound, FL. Raymond and his wife Cecile Belanger of Lawrence, MA. J. Ernest and his wife Alicia Quintana Castilla of Madrid, Spain also his sister-in-law: Ethel Belanger of Lawrence, MA. And his brother-in-law: Laren Smart; his god child, Nicole Zakrewski; as well as many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grand nephews. He is predeceased by his two sisters; Bernadette Elston, and Juliette Smart, and his brother, Philippe Belanger. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, April 26, 2010 at 1:00 P.M. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, St. Theresa Church, 22 Plymouth St., Methuen, MA 01844. A committal service will be held on Thursday at 9:30 AM in the Marist Brothers Cemetery in Esopus, NY. Friends and family may call on Sunday, April 25th, 2010 from 3:00 to 7:00 P.M. at the John Breen Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., 122 Amesbury Street, Lawrence, MA., 01841. Memorial contributions may be made to the Brother Joseph L.R. Belanger, FMS Scholarship Fund, c/o Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. For more information or to send an online condolence please go to: www.breenfuneralhome.com.