Brother Rene D. Roy's Obituary
Brother Rene Roy, FMS died unexpectedly on August 3, 2026, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. He was four days shy of his 86th birthday and in his 66th year of Marist religious life. Born on August 7, 1940, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, he was the son of the late Rene P. and Rita L. (Bourget)Roy.
A graduate of Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA, Brother Rene entered the Marist Brothers’ St. Joseph Novitiate at Tyngsboro, MA in 1959. He received the habit in 1960 and made first profession of vows in 1961. He made his final profession of vows in 1966 and took the vow of Stability in 1976.
Brother Rene graduated from Marist College in 1964 with a BA in English. Subsequently he studied at the University of Notre Dame (MA English 1971) and Marygrove College (MA Education 1976). He served in a wide variety of ministries. Upon completion of his scholasticate, he was a cook at St. Joseph Novitiate in Tyngsboro, MA (1964-65), a teacher at Central Catholic High School, Wheeling, WV (1965-72) and at Mount de Chantal Academy, Wheeling, WV (1972-73). He served on the staff of the Marist Novitiate at Cold Spring-on-Hudson, NY (1973-76) and as a campus minister at St. Agnes Boys High School, New York City (1976).
In 1977, he participated in the Marist Brothers Second Novitiate Renewal Program in Fribourg, Switzerland. Upon completion of the program, he joined the Marist Community in Pine Ridge (Oglala), South Dakota where he was pastoral assistant at Our Lady of the Sioux Parish. He then served the Province as vocation director based in Chicago (1991-95).
In 1995, Brother Rene was asked to go to Africa to the Marist Brothers school in Byimana, Rwanda where he served as a teacher until 2000. Upon his return to the USA, after a brief sabbatical, he went to Bishop Donahue High School in McMechen, WV where he was principal (2000-05). He then returned to his alma mater, Central Catholic in Lawrence, MA where he was President (2005-09) and then Vice President for Mission (2009-24). He retired to the Marist Community at Leeds Terrace in Lawrence, MA. Due to health issues, he moved to Mary Immaculate Health Care Facility in Lawrence where he was in residence until the time of his death.
In addition to his parents, Br. Rene was pre-deceased by his two brothers, R. Paul and Robert. He is survived by his brother, Raymond, many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and great-grandnephews, as well as his Marist Brothers.
Wake: Thursday, August 6, 2026
St. Theresa Church – 22 Plymouth Street – Methuen, MA 01844 3:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Funeral Mass following at St. Theresa Church at 7:00 PM.
Burial: Friday, August 7, 2026 – Marist Brothers Cemetery – 1455 Broadway – Esopus, NY – 12:00 PM
Oh, what consolation we have, when about to appear before God, to remember that we have lived in the favor of Mary, and in her own Society. – St. Marcellin Champagnat
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