JANET A. PONTBRIAND
February 11, 1938 ~ December 10, 2022 (Age 84)

Janet A. Pontbriand (Alger) passed away on Saturday, December 10, 2022 in the Broadview Assisted Living Community in Winchendon. Her passion for life, sense of adventure, courageous spirit, creativity, beautiful smile and infectious laugh will live on in her family, friends, and all the lives that she touched throughout her life.

Janet was born in Gardner on February 11, 1938, the daughter of Paul and Martha (Haase) Alger. She was a lifelong resident of Fitchburg and graduated from Fitchburg High School in 1955. She married her husband Paul H. Pontbriand in 1958 and they were married for 32 years until his passing in 1990. Janet had a diverse career having worked in the Fitchburg Public Schools doing hearing and vision testing and as a library aide. She also worked for many years as a medical secretary, school librarian, quality reviewer for the Internal Revenue Service and after retiring she worked for many years at the Fitchburg State University bookstore.

Janet loved her family and friends. She enjoyed entertaining and hosting her family, friends, and neighbors at the house on Bel Air Drive over the years. She always was the life of any party or get together with her sense of humor and fun-loving spirit making everyone feel special and loved. She loved the ocean having enjoyed many years visiting Cape Cod as well as the beaches of Maine, Hampton Beach, and Rockport, MA. She travelled extensively throughout her life having visited California, Las Vegas, the Pacific Northwest, New Orleans, Nashville, and to Europe where she visited London, Paris, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. In retirement, Janet enjoyed many winters with dear friends in Englewood, Florida.

She loved reading a good book, solving a crossword puzzle on the beach, playing Scrabble, and spending time in nature. She loved to explore and was famous for taking her family and friends on "mystery rides" where there was always adventure, fun, and new experiences. She enjoyed learning new things, experiencing the arts, watching a good movie, and always enjoyed a good party. She was very proud of her German heritage and a lifelong member of Trinity Congregational Church in Fitchburg. She loved her mother, Martha "Nana" and took excellent care of her throughout her life.

Janet is survived by her daughter, Sharon L. Nelson of Gardner and her son Robert A. Pontbriand of Dunstable and his fiancée Bridgette Braley and daughter-in-law Christine Pontbriand. She is survived by her grandchildren, Justin Nelson, Emily Nelson, Andrew Pontbriand, Jr., Brittany Pontbriand and her great grandchildren Madison Brown and Brooke Partelow. Janet was predeceased by her husband Paul H. Pontbriand in 1990, her son Andrew Pontbriand, Sr. in 2014, as well as a brother Raymond Erickson and sister Gertrude Howland.

Visitation will take place on Thursday, December 15, 2022 from 10:30am to 12:00pm at the Brandon Funeral Home, 305 Wanoosnoc Rd., Fitchburg. Funeral services and burial will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Janet's name may be made to the Friends of Coggshall, PO Box 792, Fitchburg, MA 01420 or to a charity of one's choosing in Janet's name. Most importantly, carry on Janet's legacy by gathering with friends, walking the beach, or going for a "mystery ride".

ROLAND A. LEGROS
March 11, 1933 ~ December 10, 2022 (Age 89)

LUNENBURG: Roland "Rollie" A. Legros peacefully passed with his family by his side in his hometown of Lunenburg, MA, after a period of failing health on the eve of December 10, 2022. He was 89. Roland was born March 11, 1933 in Fitchburg MA, the son of Hormisdas and Rose (Vachon) Legros. He was raised in Lunenburg, had homes in Fitchburg, California and Winchendon and most recently returned to his childhood community of Whalom, MA. He was the youngest of six children.

Roland was the proud husband of Dianne (Harris) Legros. The couple married in 1954 and recently celebrated 68 years of marriage on November 27th. He graduated from Lunenburg High School in 1951, where he excelled in basketball and continued to play in the recreation leagues well into his 50s. In his youth, Roland and his musical family were stalwarts of the Lunenburg town band community; his father was one of the integral leaders of the town band and planted a lovely blue spruce honoring the band in the early 1960's. Rollie played the trombone when he was a young man, traveling all over the tri-town area and was a regular at the local Lunenburg band concerts.

Roland served in the U.S. Navy for 4 years. He built his own home in Lunenburg in 1957 and raised his four daughters there. He and his wife resided in this home for 38 years before relocating to Fitchburg. Roland's work history included self-employment as a variety store owner, where he was famous for giving out penny candy and ice cream at the end of the school year to local children. For close to four decades, he worked as an electronics technician with Raytheon. He retired in 1991, and spent the next chapter of his life enjoying his hobbies of golfing, bowling, gardening, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Roland was a self-reliant man who passed this trait on down to his four daughters, teaching them the best way to change a tire and weed and seed a garden at an early age. He was known to carry a salt shaker in his pocket to the garden so that his first bite of tomato was the perfect combination of salt and sun. He valued hard work, independence, resourcefulness and common sense. He liked to work with his hands; each home he lived in had a personal touch. He built sun porches, decks, fences, walkways and beautiful gardens in and around his homes. He was practical in all ways – from how he prepared for a winter storm to how he loved his family and friends. He always made sure the people he loved were cared for.

He was a member of the Lunenburg Men's Bowling League for over 50 years, joining when it was started, originally in the Whalom Park Bowling Alley. Rollie enjoyed golfing well into his 8o's and was a past member of Monoosnock Country Club and the Winchendon Country Club. Rollie loved the ocean, taking many trips to Cape Cod and the Maine coast, where he enjoyed his favorite scallop and seafood dinners. And when corn on the cob was in season; that was even better. Rollie was known for his good-humored but powerful handshakes, showing off his strength well into his 80s. He was a competitor in most endeavors, particularly in card games - from cribbage, to pinochle to poker. He loved to win. Likewise, he loved to have fun: dancing the night away at golf tournaments and weddings, gambling at Foxwoods and laughing with lifetime friends over dinners.

Roland was predeceased by his siblings Louise Thibault, Ida Rita Forest, David Legros, Lorraine Belanger; his son-in-law Scott Casson, and his infant son Andre.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Dianne Legros; his daughters and their spouses, Laura and Gregory Kincaid of Santa Clarita, CA, Elizabeth (Becky) and Michael Herrmann of Concord, NH, Kathryn Legros of Goleta, CA and Margaret (Peggy) Casson of Ashby, MA; his grandchildren John Kincaid, Matthew Kincaid, Lindsay Schulz, Emma Azzarello, Iris Schulz, Claire Herrmann, James Herrmann, Ian Littlehale, Julian Littlehale, Allie Chartrand and Daniel Casson; his great-grandsons Elliot, Caleb, Dean, Cole, Luca, Lucas, Nathan, Tyler and his very new great-granddaughter, Ivy. He is also survived by his best friends of more than 80 years, Robert (Bob) and Joyce Moisan of Lunenburg, MA, his sister, Doris Draleaus of Gardner, MA, his sister-in-law Judith Horgan of Lunenburg, MA and his brother-in-law Peter Harris of CA.

Mr. Legros' family will receive relatives and friends at calling hours 10 to 11 AM, Tuesday, December 20th at the Anderson Funeral Home, 250 Main Street ~ Route 119, Townsend, Center. A service of prayer and reflection will be held at 11 AM. Interment will be held privately. For additional information or to leave an online condolence, please visit their website at www.andersonfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider donation to UMass Memorial Health Alliance Home Health & Hospice, 60 Hospital Road, Leominster MA 01453 or donate online: https://www.hahhh.org/ways-to-help/