Rachel L. Brochu

Remembering My Beloved Rachel

Rachel was born in Asbestos, Quebec, Canada, on March 4, 1939. She immigrated to Manchester, New Hampshire, in 1944 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1948. She was the thirteenth of fourteen children and is survived by two sisters, Sr. Carmelle Cote, a Franciscan nun, and Sr. Reine Marie Cote, a Presentation of Mary nun.

Rachel and I met in 1957 while attending the New Hampshire College of Accounting and Commerce in Manchester, now Southern New Hampshire University. Rachel had just graduated from Our Lady of the Mountains Academy (OLMA). We graduated in 1959 and were married that May. Together, we raised four children: Danny, Helen, David, and Christine. Our family grew to include ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, who have brought us immeasurable joy.

Our life together took us from Manchester to Providence, RI, Pinehurst and Billerica, Massachusetts, Lexington Mass, Orleans, Mass, and eventually back to Manchester in 2023, where we could be closer to family.

Rachel's unwavering faith and gratitude were her guiding lights. She lived a compassionate life, sharing her many gifts through volunteerism and caring for her family. After raising our children, she returned to work, first at Middlesex Community College and later as a senior receptionist at Honeywell Bull. She eventually retired early to provide daycare for two of our grandchildren.

Rachel was an avid reader, a lifelong learner, and endlessly curious about the world and the people around her. Her favorite expressions, "Up and Grateful" and "La Vie est Belle" (Life is Beautiful), reflected the way she approached each day. She was known for her genuine smile, soulful eyes, and generous hospitality. There was always tea and chicken soup ready for anyone who needed them.

Rachel began experiencing Alzheimer's disease in 2018-2019. I was fortunate to care for her at home for as long as I could. As her needs increased, she moved to the memory care unit at the Hillsborough County Nursing Home in November 2025. When I explained why she needed to be there, she simply said, "I understand." She never once complained about her circumstances.

Rachel's light will continue to shine through the many people she touched with her kindness, compassion, and warmth. She will be deeply missed by me, our four children and their spouses, ten grandchildren and their spouses, nine great-grandchildren, her two sisters, and an extended family of dear friends.

I consider myself a very lucky man to have met Rachel, married her, and shared a lifetime with her. We experienced so much together, and I will always be grateful for the life we built and the family we raised. If there truly is a heaven, and it is what our faith tells us it is, I plan to meet her there when my time comes and spend eternity with her. I trust she will agree with my dream of always being together.

May our Heavenly Father bless her.

With Love, Written by her husband Don.

SERVICES: The Funeral Service is being held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at the Mt. Carmel Nursing Home Chapel, 235 Myrtle St. in Manchester at 10am. There are no calling hours.

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made specifically to the Memory Care Unit at HBCNH where Rachel was cared for with tremendous kindness, respect and tenderness. Make checks out to Hillsborough County Nursing Home. In the Memo space: Memory Care / Rachel Brochu. Mail To: 400 Mast Rd., Goffstown, NH 03045.