Joseph A. LaBarre Sr.

Joseph A. LaBarre, Sr., 87, of Keene, died on Thursday, March 31, 2016 at the Maplewood Nursing Home in Westmoreland, NH after a period of declining health with his loving family and his Maplewood care givers by his side.

He was born in Keene, NH on March 14, 1929 the son of Ernest J. and Melinda M. (Jolley) LaBarre, Sr.

He grew up in Keene and attended Keene schools. In 1951, Joe enlisted in the US Army and served honorably for a total of eleven years on active duty as a specialist radio operator and later in the Army reserves receiving an Honorable Discharge in May of 1962.

In his early work career, Joe was employed in the construction industry, working for the former Payne Construction Company and Jim Mugford Contractors in Keene. He worked on road construction projects around the area, and also worked in the building trades, building homes and commercial building in the area. In later years he had worked for the former Central Screw Company and Winding Brook Lodge in Keene. He was honored to have built his own home and to help build homes for all of his four children, and a family cottage in Chesham, NH.

The most important things in Joe’s life was time spent with his family, he always said “family first”. He enjoyed snowmobiling, going to the ocean, hunting and fishing. He was a member of the Keene Post 799 VFW.

He is survived by his loving wife of sixty-two years, Gloria T. (Black) LaBarre of Keene; a daughter Jo-Anne Yardley and her husband, Steven, of Roxbury, NH; three sons; Joseph A. LaBarre, Jr. and his wife, Silvia, of Swanzey, NH, Jay LaBarre of Fitzwilliam, NH and John LaBarre and his wife, Tina, of Swanzey, NH; two sisters; Irene Metivier and Geraldine Newell both of Keene, NH; eight grandchildren; Emily Yardley, Courtney Welch, Joseph A. LaBarre, III, Erika Russell, Shelbie LaBarre, Kade LaBarre, Jesse LaBarre and Hannah LaBarre; fourteen great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews

He was predeceased by eleven siblings; Rena Houle, Dorothy LaBarre, Pauline Newell, Lester LaBarre, Leo LaBarre, Ernest J. LaBarre, Jr., Robert LaBarre, Leonard LaBarre, Jackie LaBarre, Gerald LaBarre, and Barbara LaBarre.

Funeral services and burial with full military honors in St. Joseph Cemetery, Main Street, Keene, will be private. There are no public visiting hours.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made in his name to the Maplewood Nursing Home, Activities Fund, 201 River Road, Westmoreland, NH 03467, where Joe received exceptional care, assistance, and love from a truly dedicated team of individuals.

The Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene, is assisting the family with these arrangements.