VAN BUREN – Lionel E. Sirois, 82, died peacefully Sunday, April 3, 2011, surrounded by his children at a Bangor hospital. Lionel was born Aug. 20, 1928, in Keegan, son of Joseph and Catherine (Levasseur) Sirois.
Lionel attended Van Buren schools. In 1951 he was enlisted in the Army and served for two years, one of which was spent in Korea. As a young man, Lionel lived in Connecticut, where he owned his own construction company and built many homes. He returned to Van Buren in 1969, where he continued to build homes, apartments and a motel and restaurant. Lionel worked as a potato farmer for 14 years prior to his retirement. He was an avid gardener, growing and preserving most of what he consumed well into the later years of his life. Lionel was a member of Van Buren Lion’s Club and American Legion Post No. 49, and was a communicant of St. Bruno-St. Remi Catholic Church.
Lionel is survived by his children, Marian, Donna, Marsha, Lynn, Greg and Kathy; grandchildren, Sarah, Logan, Alec, Jordan, Jamie, Tiea, Katie, Luke and Joshua; and by a sister, Velma Buck. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by brothers, Zoel, Alva, Emilien, Bertrand, Claude and James; and sisters, Connie Cote, Pauline Deschaine and Annette LeBrun.
In keeping with his wishes, there will be no public visitation. A funeral Mass will be celebrated 11 a.m. Thursday, April 28, at St. Bruno-St. Remi Catholic Church, Van Buren. Interment will be in the parish cemetery. Funeral arrangements are a service of Ouellette-Thibault Funeral Home, 118 High St., Van Buren. To leave online condolences, please visit
www.ouellettefuneralhome.com.