Romeo J. Champagne

Romeo J. Champagne, 93, of Manchester died March 21, 2000 at a local health care facility. He was born on December 18, 1906 in Augusta, ME, the son of the late Mathias and Marie Lousie (Martineau) Champagne. He had been a Manchester resident for most of his life. He resided in Ft. Lauderdale, FL for 32 years, moving back to Manchester in 1992 to enjoy his retirement years. He attended local schools. At the age of 14, he started his first job with Martineau & Gilbert, a retail grocery store. When he left, he temporarily worked in the textile industry at Amoskeag (Coolidge) Mill. He soon returned to the grocery business as manger of one of the Manchester stores of Cloverdale First National where her worked for the next five years. In 1933, he opened his first grocery store in Manchester located at 168 Amory Street. By 1957 he had gone from a one-man store to six Supermarkets which he sold that same year to Grand Union Company of New Jersey. In 1952 he was elected to the Governor's Council until 1956. Mr. Champagne served as Chairman for the Democratic State Committee, Chairman for Hillsborough County Food Stand Plan, Chairman for the Hillsborough County Fuel Coordinator, Chairman for Hillsborough County Savings Bond Drive, and served on the Manchester Ration Board. He was appointed by President Kennedy as Special Ambassador to Senegal Africa in 1961 with Vice President Johnson's delegation to the Geneva Peace Conference and then to Paris for the tenth anniversary of NATO. He served as President of the New Hampshire Retail Grocers and the Associated Grocers of New Hampshire and was cooperative New England Director of the Supermarket Institute of America. He was also Director of the Small Business Association of New England, Director and Vice President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, President of St. Mary's Bank and Director of Merchants Savings Bank. He was a Trustee for the New Hampshire Catholic Charities and was a long-time parishioner of Ste. Marie Church. He was predeceased by his wife. Germaine (Laflamme) Champagne who died in 1996. Family members include his daughter, Doris Champagne Genest of Manchester; four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren; his sister, Marie Champagne Roberge of Manchester; and several nieces. A memorial gathering will take place on Friday morning from 10:30 to 11:00 AM in Ste. Marie Church with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11:00. Reverend Marc Montminy, Pastor of Ste. Marie will officiate. Burial will take place in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Ste. Marie Church Building Fund, 378 Notre Dame Avenue, Manchester, NH 03102. Phaneuf Funeral Homes and Crematorium is in change of arrangements.