Marc Bouchard

Marc Bouchard passed peacefully surrounded by his family on November 5, joining his dad Paul Bouchard. He is survived by his mother, Doris Bouchard, his brother Shawn, his sister-in-law Jessica and nephew, Jack. 

The family would like to thank the special attention of the nurses and doctors of Greater Niagara General Hospital, particularly the compassionate support of Dr. Shah and Marc’s family physician Dr. Child.

Marc will be missed by many family members in Ontario, Quebec and the United States. A special thank you to his aunt Solange for the many prayers, love and support. He is greatly missed by friends from across Canada and internationally, especially Derrick and Lorna Penman and Amelia and Martin Smit.

Never shy, Marc loved to confidently introduce himself with: “Hi, my name is Marc Bouchard and I am a ladies’ man” to everyone he met. This rarely failed to earn a chuckle, and he quickly made a big impression on everyone who knew him.

Marc was always willing to offer a helping hand. His first job was at a greenhouse in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where he nurtured a life-long love of plants and flowers. Marc also worked at several grocery stores and restaurants in St. Catharines throughout high school. Marc graduated from Holy Cross Secondary School in St. Catharines in 1994 and stayed in touch with many of his classmates throughout his life. 

Marc was very ambitious and fiercely independent. After graduation, thanks to Niagara Support Services (NSS) and Niagara Training & Employment Agency (NTEC), Marc continued to follow his green thumb, working in their greenhouses for many years. NSS also enabled Marc to pursue his dreams of living in an apartment, getting a girlfriend and driving a car. Though he never received his driver's license, he still loved to go for a drive anytime he could. 

His love of wrestling, the Blue Jays, Raptors, and yes, even The Leafs was legendary. Personally, his great passions were swimming, bowling, basketball and biking. In a pool, Marc became a dolphin—diving, twisting and wiggling through the water until his lips were chattering and blue. He competed at several regional Special Olympics events. He won awards for his high bowling average of 98 in 2000, and basketball in 2011 and 2014.

Food and travel featured prominently in his life. Marc loved flying solo from Toronto to visit his family in BC and did so many times up until a couple of years ago. A highlight of any flight was the special attention he received from the stewards and, of course, the onboard meal. Marc never met a buffet he didn’t enjoy. He loved all food except cherries, but his absolute favourite cuisine was anything Italian or Chinese.

Christmas was always Marc’s favourite holiday, and he found great joy in the food, the festivities and the music. He knew every word of his favourite carols and sang each one with gusto. The St. Davids Carnival was a close second on Marc’s list of favourite things to do. He started reminding everyone about it in February, so we wouldn’t forget to take him to visit in July.

Thank you to the entire staff at Niagara Support Services for everything. We are blessed that Marc found such a loving place to call home for so many years. You are all exceptional human beings and true heroes in our eyes. Marc counted you as caregivers, friends and family. There are so many people to thank, including everyone who came to visit Marc in the hospital—you brightened his days. Marc always had a special connection with Kevin, Kristine, Linda, Crystal, Mary, Spencer, Jen and Little Jen, Shari, Lori and Shannyn.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Patterson Funeral Home. A celebration of life will be held in spring. Online condolences can be made at pattersonfuneralhome.com