John Paul Lacombe

John Paul Lacombe, 91, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at Notre Dame Long Term Care Center in Worcester where he had been a resident for the past 3 years. His wife of 48 years, Maureen (McKiernan) Lacombe predeceased him in 2020. John is survived by his sisters Rhea Roy of Attleboro and Therese Grogan of Spencer and his sister-in-law Eileen (McKiernan) Keaney (Kevin) of Worcester. His brother Joseph Arthur Lacombe of New Britain, CT and sister Colombe Lacombe of Shrewsbury predeceased him. He also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews. Born on August 23, 1931 he was the son of Herve Lacombe and Marie Rose Colombe (Boileau) Lacombe and lived in Shrewsbury much of his life until his marriage to Maureen in 1971 when they moved to the Lake View area of Worcester where they resided for 40 years. They were members of St. Margaret Mary’s parish until its closing. They returned to Shrewsbury in 2011 and were residents at Westbrook Crossing and became members of St. Anne’s parish. John was a devout Catholic and studied at the Carmelite Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts from 1946 to 1947 as well as a Catholic seminary in Akron, Ohio in 1951. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 through 1955 in the 615th ACWRON while stationed in Germany during the Korean Conflict. He was a member of the Korean War Veterans Association and a recipient of the Good Conduct Medal as well as the European Occupation Medal. Upon returning back to Shrewsbury John worked as a receiving clerk for the Worcester County Hospital in Boylston, Massachusetts for many years. He also worked as a barber at Leo’s Barber Shop. He received a GED in 1967 from the Worcester Public School system. John was very proud of his French Canadian heritage and spent many years doing family ancestry research. He was a member of the American Canadian Genealogical Society in Manchester, NH. John and his wife Maureen enjoyed exploring the back roads of New England, finding a nice restaurant for dinner or stopping at a favorite spot for an ice cream treat. They especially loved their vacation trips to Maine and Cape Cod where they often spent time with family. John happily looked forward to every family gathering and celebration throughout the years and enjoyed spending time with his many nieces and nephews. He always had a smile for everyone. He loved being in the kitchen of family member’s homes eagerly awaiting a homemade meal and especially desserts. John’s family would like to thank the staff at Notre Dame du Lac and his caregivers at Notre Dame Long Term Care for the attentive and compassionate care he received while he was a resident there. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, January 12th at 11:00 am in St. Anne’s Church, Shrewsbury, preceded by a visitation hour from 10 to 11 am. Burial will follow at St. John’s Cemetery in Worcester. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of John to St. Anne’s Human Services Program, 130 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.