Alcide J. "Jim" Champagne

Alcide J. “Jim” Champagne, 94 of Fort Smith, passed away Monday, February 22, 2016. He was born April 3, 1921 in Southbridge, Massachusetts to the late Napoleon and Alice Champagne. He was a U.S. Army Air Corps Veteran of World War II, where he was a member of the 450th Bomb Group and was in the 722nd Squadron based in Manduria, Italy. His plane was shot down during one of the missions he was on and he was captured by the Germans and was a POW for 14 months. The last 81 days of his captivity he was involved with the forced march, which is also referred to as “The Death March”. He was a member of the VFW, the DAV, the National Veteran’s Organization and the American Ex-Prisoner of War. He was a retired Steel Fitter for Gardner Fabricated Steel Company in Gardner, MA. He will be greatly missed by all those that loved him.

Memorial service will be 1:00 PM Friday, February 26, 2016 at the Fort Smith National Cemetery Pavilion. Arrangements are under the direction of Fentress Mortuary.

Jim is survived by his wife Inez M. Champagne of the home, his mother-in-law, Marie Kinter of Cuba, NY, his son, Martin J. Champagne, Sr. of New Hampshire, his brother-in-law’s and their wives; Earl and Rosemary Kinter, Charles and Penny Kinter, and David and Melissa Walsh. He is also survived by five grandchildren; Michelle Champagne Ross of Alma, Craig and his wife Shannon Champagne of Cypress, TX, Martin J. Champagne, Jr. of Denver, CO, Marcie Champagne of Peterborough, NH, and Melissa and her husband Mike Szymanowski of Greenfield, NH, six great grandchildren; Dustin Krein of Little Rock, Aaron Champagne and Ashley Champagne both of Cypress, TX and Max, Callie, and Liam Boisvert of Peterborough, NH, two honorary Great Grandchildren; Destiny and Faith Williams of Alma as well as several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, Kansas 66675 or online at www.woundedwarriorproject.org