Thomas (Tom) Kerry, 46, of Saco, died Wednesday, May 25, 2011, at Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford.

He was born July 24, 1964, in Portland to Richard R. Kerry Sr. and Marjorie (Saucier) Kerry. He was a 1983 Thornton Academy graduate and during his high school teammates voted him football team captain. He also attended St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Canada.

Mr. Kerry worked at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department for more than 20 years and also at the family business. He was employed most recently at Fallbrook Nursing Home.

Mr. Kerry was a giving family man with strong family values, a loving father to his son, Brandon and devoted to all family members, especially his father, Richard.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Marjorie (Saucier) Kerry, and his brother Richard “Ricky” Kerry Jr.

Survivors include his father, Richard Kerry Sr., and his stepmother, Hanna; his son, Brandon; his brother, Timothy Kerry of Saco; two sisters, Theresa Pratt and her husband, Daniel, of Old Orchard Beach and Lee-Marie Brown and her husband, Shawn, of Saco; step-siblings Jennifer Pasteur of Denver, Col., David Welch of Boca Raton, Fla., and Maggie Welch of Biddeford; his grandmother, Grace Kerry McNally of Saco; nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Arrangements were by Cote Funeral Home, Saco.

Rose Dow

Rose Dow, 79 of Saco, died Wednesday, May 25, 2011, at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

She was born Jan. 25, 1931, in Biddeford to Adelard and Jeanne (Boisvert) Valliere. She was educated in Biddeford schools.

Mrs. Dow was employed for 49 years by Biddeford Textile and in retirement worked part time at Dunegrass in Old Orchard Beach.

She is remembered as a hard worker and loving mother who was proud of her children and grandchildren.

She enjoyed playing Bingo, going to Foxwoods, was a member of the senior bowling league and won several championships.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur R. Dow Sr., in 1992; two sons, Peter M. Dow and Jeffrey L. Dow; four brothers, Jean Louis Valliere, Robert Valliere, Lucien Valliere and Raymond Valliere; and five sisters, Adrienne Tourigny, Jeannine Lemieux, Lorraine Labelle, Fernande Bedard and Theresa Petrin.

Survivors include her longtime companion, Dan Seely of Saco; three sons, Rodney J. Dow and his wife, Dale, and Arthur R. Dow Jr., all of Biddeford and Roger S. Dow and his wife, Rebecca, of Saco; three brothers, Ralph Valliere of Florida, Ronald Valliere and his wife, Gladys, of Texas and Marcel Valliere and his wife, Bernadette, of Biddeford; her sister, Lucille Hebert and her husband, Louis, of Biddeford; her daughter-in-law, Tammy Dow of Arundel; 12 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were by Cote Funeral Home, Saco.

Andre R. Pronovost

Andre R. Pronovost, 78, died Friday, May 20, 2011, at his home in Biddeford.

He was born Nov. 22, 1932, in Quebec, Canada, to the late Eddy and Yvonne (Beaulieu) Pronovost. 

He married Yvette Prescott on Dec. 26, 1955, in Shawinigan, Quebec. In 1967, he immigrated to Biddeford with his wife and their son, Eric. She died Nov. 24, 2005, after 49 years of marriage.

Mr. Pronovost loved listening to music, watching his son play sports while he grew up, and would light up when he saw his grandchildren, Nick and Taylor. He enjoyed the last years of his life with friends he made while living at McArthur Homes. 

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his sisters Rita and Therese.

Survivors include his son, Eric, and his wife, Deb, of Cumberland Foreside; two grandchildren and a niece.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.

Ralph J. Gagne

Ralph J. Gagne, 75, died Wednesday, May 26, 2011.

He was born Aug. 13, 1935, to Donat and Lucienne (Dubuc) Gagne. He was a Biddeford High School graduate and attended the University of Maine at Gorham.

On Sept. 2, 1957, he married Vivian P. Vachon at St. Andre Church. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1958 and served in the 34th Armored Tank Division and Maine National Guard.

Mr. Gagne worked more than 45 years in textile mills and ended his career as a superintendent at Biddeford Textile. In retirement he became a driver for the Biddeford & Saco Shuttle Bus, where he worked for 10 years. At the time of his death he was an on-call parking lot attendant at Biddeford Savings Bank on Main Street in Biddeford.

He was a lifetime member of the DAV Chapter 4 of Biddeford and Rod & Gun Club of Camp Ellis. He taught hunter safety for the state and was former vice president of Textile Union Local 305, vice president of the National Association of Supervisors and past president of Local 1856, AFL-CIO-CLC.

He enjoyed outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, whitewater rafting, canoeing, golfing and skydiving. He was especially happy when he was out and about on his motorcycle. He and his wife enjoyed traveling with their two grandsons throughout the 50 states and some countries in Europe.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Roland Gagne, in 2001.

Survivors include his wife, Vivian P. Vachon of Biddeford; two daughters, Donna J. Kendall of Biddeford and Debbie J. Sharpe-Pepin and her husband, Donald Pepin, of Biddeford; three brothers, Robert Gagne and his wife, Irene, of Biddeford, Normand Gagne and his wife, Donna, of Manchester, N.H., and Raymond Gagne and his wife, Eleanor, of Biddeford; three sisters, Claudette Letendre and Doris Corbeil of Saco and Jeanette Sullivan of Biddeford; and two grandsons.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.