Published in the December 27, 2017 edition.
WAKEFIELD — John B. Bouchard, Jr., 65, of Wakefield, passed away after a long illness on December 24, 2017 with his family by his side.
A writer by trade, he had the intellect necessary to follow a career as a technical writer and the heart to pursue his love of creative writing. He had a gift for rendering complex material into clear language accessible to professionals and lay users alike. He plied his craft for several large and small companies over a nearly 40 year career in the field, including Sun Microsystems, Bay Networks, and Nortel Networks.
He is survived by his wife Paulette (Beaudoin) Bouchard of Wakefield and daughter Elizabeth Bouchard and her husband Eric Hofbauer of Jamaica Plain. He is also survived by his sister Mary Ellen Bouchard of Arlington, Virginia, his brother, James Bouchard and partner Claudio Rotondaro of Los Angeles. He was the stepson of Joan Bouchard of Wilbraham. Survived also by loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, and a host of cousins and long-time friends.
John had a special talent for not only making friends, but for keeping them as life-long companions. From elementary school through college and work, as well as from Paulette’s circle of friends, he enjoyed an ever-expanding social circle whose members enjoyed one another’s company. Each fall he looked forward to a gathering of his college friends dubbed the “Little Chill.” Whether friends met frequently or only occasionally, with John at the center of this universe, all were greatly enriched by his wit and humor.
John always had a love of the open road, and no trip was too far or too suddenly called for him to serve as driver (of course, any trip was accompanied by a Beach Boys playlist). Most notably, he fulfilled a long-time dream a few years ago to trace the entirety of Rt. 66 from its starting point in Chicago to the Pacific coast. He maintained a blog throughout the journey to allow his family and friends to join him in a vicarious road trip of a lifetime.
John was a 1974 graduate of Stonehill College and he earned a certificate in software technical writing at Middlesex Community College. He was a native of Windsor Locks, Connecticut and the son of the late John B. Bouchard, Sr. and Madeline (Hillgrove) Bouchard.
His funeral from the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave.,Wakefield at 9 a.m. on Friday will be followed by a funeral Mass in the Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 1155 Main St., Wakefield at 10:00 a.m. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the funeral home on Thursday from 4-7 p.m. Interment will be at Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield.
