BOUDREAU, JAMES D.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – James Donald Boudreau, 90, of Elm Street died Friday [June 11, 2010] at home surrounded by his family. He was born in East Boston on Dec. 17th, 1919 to the late Charlotte (LeBlanc) and Eugene Boudreau. He spent his youth in Nova Scotia and later moved back to Boston where he graduated from Cambridge Ridge and Latin High School. He has lived most of his life in this area. He was a WW II U.S. Marine veteran serving in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater as a radio operator. He was a radio operator in the 1st Marine Raiders, a battalion that saw a great deal of action and they later received a Presidential Unit Citation. He personally participated in the Guadacanal-Tulagi landing capture, and defense. He saw action against the enemy on New Georgia, Iwo Jima and participated in the occupation of Japan. He was highly decorated and the recipient of 2 Purple Hearts. He worked as a sheet metal worker for over 25 yrs. at Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT. He retired in 1973. He was formerly a communicant of St. Thomas Church. He was a member of the American Legion and was a member of the 5th Marine Division Association. James was an avid Red Sox fan. He was noted for his green thumb and was a gardening enthusiast. He was the loving husband of 66 yrs. to Barbara V. (Yates) Boudreau, beloved father of Janice E. Boudreau and her husband Richard Dombek of Belchertown and Nancy J. Carney and her husband John of Feeding Hills, devoted grandfather of Sarah and Kaitlyn Lak and Michael, Bryan, and Lisa Carney, caring uncle of David Boudreau. Besides his parents he was predeceased by his brother Harry Boudreau and his nephew Donald Boudreau. The funeral will be Tues. 9 a.m. at the Toomey-O’Brien Funeral Home, 1043 Westfield St., West Springfield, followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Burial at 11 a.m. at the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. Calling hours are Mon. 4-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations in James’ memory may be made to Mercy Hospice, 1236 Main St., Holyoke, MA 01040 or to the American Cancer Society, 59 Bobala Road, Holyoke, MA 01040.