Obits: Marine Sharpshooter, Paratrooper and 105-Year-Old

Northborough — Arthur H. Devault Jr. died on Friday June 21, 2013 with his family by his side. He was 86 years old. He proudly served in the Navy and was a Veteran of WWII. Archie was an all-star baseball player in high school.

Grafton —  Robert S. Mongeau, 75, a longtime resident of South Grafton, died June 18, 2013 after long struggle with illness. 
Bob worked for RH White Construction Co. and then The Commonwealth of MA DMH as an attendant and in building and grounds maintenance at the former Grafton State Hospital and Irving R. Glavin Regional Center in Shrewsbury.

Marlborough — Robert "Bob" Avey of Nashua, NH, died peacefully at home on Sunday, June 23rd after a long period of declining health at age 85.
In 1945, at age 17, Bob enlisted with the MA State Guard reporting to the Marlborough Armory. At 18, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. After graduating from bootcamp at Parris Island, SC, he served at several duty stations including Philadelphia and San Diego Naval Bases, Point Mugu, CA, and Camp Pendleton, CA with 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines as a telephone lineman, clerk, and basic rifleman. His awards were Sharpshooter with BAR, Marksman with carbine, and the WW II Service medal. 

Grafton — Dorothy T. "Dot" (Dubois) LeBoeuf, 86, died June 23, 2013 after a brief illness surrounded by family and friends.
Dot and Al found life's greatest joy in opening their home to their family and friends. Those who knew Dot will remember how she absolutely loved Christmas, celebrating its joy in welcoming in family and as many friends as she could.

Marlborough — George Leoleis, 92, a highly decorated WWII Paratrooper - one of the original "Devils in Baggy Pants"- and longtime Marlborough resident, died peacefully on Monday, June 24, 2013 in his home surrounded by his loving family.
George was a charter member of the 82nd Airborne, 504 PIR, 3rd Battalion, Company I during WWII. A Staff Sergeant, he started out in Casablanca and was involved in campaigns in Sicily, Salerno, Central Italy, Naples, Anzio, France, Holland, Belgium and Germany. George was part of the elite unit that fought valiantly and tenaciously, at Hill 950, Battle of the Bulge, Denhuevel Woods, and made the famous river crossing at Nijmegen Bridge in Arnhem, Holland which was immortalized in the movie, "A Bridge Too Far."

Shrewsbury — Grace Edna Walker (Dean) Backholm, 105, of Shrewsbury died Tuesday June 25th in the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester after an illness. Grace was a member of the First Congregational Church of Boylston, the Boylston Grange, the National Grange, she volunteered in the Media Centers at both North Shore, and Coolidge Schools in Shrewsbury. Backholm helped raise the first flag at Dean Park at its opening ceremony in 1913.