Constance R. Brochu

LEWISTON – Constance R. Brochu, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully, with family by her side, on Sept. 5, 2024, after a long illness.

“Connie” was born in Lewiston, on June 5, 1933, the daughter of George and Imelda Thibodeau. She attended St. Peter’s grade school and graduated from Lewiston High School in 1952.

On Sept. 25, 1954, she wed the love of her life, Paul L. Brochu. They met on roller skates, at the Lewiston Fairgrounds Roller Rink, a passion they enjoyed together well into their retirement years. Their marriage was a love story for the ages.

Connie worked at Bauer Hardware as a secretary after she graduated from high school. She then focused her energy on raising her three rambunctious children, Jeane, Daniel and David. She loved being a Mom. Her children have been left with precious childhood memories.

Connie, along with her husband, became the proprietors of Connie’s Catering in 1969. She was a natural born planner and organizer. The business grew into the premier wedding and banquet company of the 1970s and 1980s, employing at one time a dedicated crew of over 60 people. Connie was often seen zooming from event to event, always confirming that details were being attended to. She became the fabric of the community as she helped hundreds of brides achieve their dream wedding day. Her employees were treated like family and they all looked forward to the annual elaborate and raucous “Connie’s Catering Employee Appreciation” parties, replete with infamous comedy skits, music and dancing.

Despite her busy catering business, Connie always made time for family, church and community. She attended countless hockey, baseball and basketball games, ski races and dance recitals for her children and grandchildren.

She was an avid reader and loved to write. She published several articles for the Lewiston Sun Journal, focusing on her business and travels. She was especially fond of the multi-part series she wrote on her travels to Egypt and the Holy Land.

In 1990, Connie decided it was time to give up the hectic catering life. Retirement didn’t slow her down. Her home and kitchen were always open to guests and travelers from near and far. Her ovens were continuously ready to provide goodies for bake sales and charitable organizations. She loved to entertain. Her holiday gatherings, family birthday parties and the annual Brochu Family Lobster Feeds were legendary. The aroma of pies and other specialties always filled the air. Baking with the grandchildren in “Memere’s Kitchen” brought her great joy.

Connie and her husband also became SnowBirds as they continued their retirement. They eventually settled in St. Petersburg, Fla., where they spent winters for more than 25 years. She was soon known in her condominium community as a hostess and cook, always ready to provide food for her neighbors and the association gatherings. She made precious friends during her time in Florida. Connie and Paul continued to travel for many years. She loved creating journals for their many trips and sharing them with their fellow travelers.

Connie’s retirement also gave her time to start her new hobbies of counted cross-stitch and scrapbooking. She spent hundreds of hours on her cross-stitch artwork. She gifted these heirloom pieces to friends and family. Her homemade ornaments fill the Christmas trees of her children and grandchildren and her scrapbooks will be forever cherished.

Connie was a devout Catholic. She attended mass in Maine and in Florida nearly every day during her retirement. She volunteered for St. Martin de Porres Residence and the Catholic Diocese for many years. She was a church lector and eucharistic minister. She was involved in the Cursillo movement, the committee for the restoration of St. Peter’s Church and was a leader in Christian Initiation. She garnered multiple awards and accolades, including Lewiston Citizen of the Year, Catholic Charities Volunteer of the Year and LA Distinguished Business Woman Award. She loved Mother Teresa.

Connie lived an extraordinary life of generosity and service to her family, community and church.

She was predeceased by her paternal parents, George and Imelda Thibodeau, maternal parents, Onesime and Beatrice Brochu; her sister, Carmen Squeo, her brothers Roger, Raynald and Marcel Thibodeau, her sisters-in-law Jeannette Lucio, Joline Brissette and Diane Somers, and her brother-in-law, Ronald Brochu.

She is survived by her husband, Paul Brochu; her daughter, Jeane Brochu Jandreau and her partner, Peter, her sons Daniel Brochu and David Brochu and his partner, Beverly; her grandchildren, Alex Brochu, Emily Brochu and Krysty Brochu Condon; her great grandson, Elliot Condon; and her sisters-in-law Linda Thibodeau and Fernande Couture; and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff at St. Mary’s D’Youville Pavilion for their dedicated and loving care during the final segment of her illness.

Online condolences and fond memories may be shared with the family at http://www.albert-burpee.com

Visiting hours will be at the Albert & Burpee Funeral Home, 253 Pine St., Lewiston on Friday, Sept. 27, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in the Upper Church of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul at 11 a.m. Committal prayers will follow in the large chapel of the mausoleum at St. Peter’s Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to St. Martin de Porres Residence; Prince of Peace Parish; or the Alzheimer’s Association.