Gaston Rosaire DesHarnais

Gaston Rosaire DesHarnais of Lincoln Park, Michigan / Raleigh, North Carolina passed away on November 23, 2025 at the age of 92. He was a beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and uncle, with many close friends throughout his long life.

Born to parents Thérèse (née Fournier) and Armand Des Harnais on September 1, 1933 in River Rouge, Michigan, Gaston was one of five children, including his older sister Gisele, his twin brother, Gabriel, and younger brothers John and Gerald.

From a young age Gaston was called to spirituality. Along with Gabriel, he served as an altar boy at church. At the age of thirteen he and Gabriel went to live at Detroit’s Sacred Heart Seminary as seminarians, first for middle and high school, then college. Gaston received a scholarship to attend the American University in Rome, where, upon graduation, he was ordained by Pope (now Saint) John XXIII on June 16, 1959, during the celebration of Holy Mass at the Vatican.

After serving his community as a priest in East Detroit for many years, Gaston was laicized. He did graduate work in Texas where he earned a Master’s degree. He then returned to Detroit to work on his doctoral degree in English Literature at University of Detroit. In 1973 he married Susan Lieberman, whose family welcomed and loved him dearly. He was a warm, funny, and engaged father to his two daughters Liana and Miriam, whom he taught to leave no pun un-made.

Dr. DesHarnais spoke and understood several languages, loved word origins, and taught English and Business Communication for many years. Gaston worked as a professor at University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, East Carolina University, and as a PACE Instructor on the USS Monterey. His proudest teaching experience was helping sailors on long deployments learn to write better, more descriptive, more affectionate letters back home to their families.

He was actively involved in daily prayer and meditation with the Self Realization Fellowship throughout his seventies and eighties, truly living out their aim “to serve mankind as one’s larger self”. That community’s spirituality, support, generosity, and epic potlucks were a great source of joy in Gaston’s later life.

He loved God, lavender flowers, eating dessert, the beauty of nature (especially as seen through a sunny window), drawing, art, classical music, poetry, and most of all people, especially his family and friends. Truly, he never met a stranger.

He is preceded in death by his twin brother, Gabriel (Mary), his sister Gisele, and his brother Gerald. He is survived by his brother John (Gail), his two daughters Liana Bruce (Chris) and Miriam DesHarnais (Lou), and their mother Susan, his two grandchildren, Margo and Gabe, brother-in-law Jack Clancy, as well as his many nieces, grand-nieces, nephews, and grand-nephews.

The family would like to thank Caring Senior Services of Raleigh, Medi Hospice, and Oak Hill Assisted Living Facility for the care and compassion they showed Gaston in his final days.

Details of funeral services will be available soon.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Gaston’s honor to Dementia Alliance of North Carolina:

https://dementianc.org/get-involved/donate/

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