Obituary of Paul Jacques Desnoyers, Sr.

Paul Desnoyers, 76, of Bridgewater Township, died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage November 4 in Athens, Greece, while vacationing with his wife. The son of immigrants, Mr. Desnoyers was born and raised in Watchung, and attended school in North Plainfield. He often recalled working on a farm the family owned along Washington Valley Road in Warren Township, and walking across Rt. 22 (then a two-lane road) to attend school and work at his fathers appliance store in Plainfield. He spent the rest of his life applying the practical skills and strong work ethic he learned during these early years. A 1947 graduate of North Plainfield High, Mr. Desnoyers went on to study Chemical Engineering at Lehigh University, graduating from there in 1952. While at Lehigh, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and it was also while he was at Lehigh that he met his wife, Nancy Jean Steidel, whose family was living in Bethlehem. The couple married in 1953, and lived briefly in Richmond, Indiana, before moving to Somerville. In 1956, they bought a dilapidated 200 year-old house in Bridgewater, and ignoring his in-laws advice to tear it down or burn it, he instead spent two years renovating it himself. The family moved there in 1958, and it has been the family home since then. Mr. Desnoyers started his career with Johns-Manville Research Center, then worked for the Permacel Division of Johnson & Johnson, before joining Somerset Tire Service (now STS) in 1965. As an officer of STS in charge of corporate development, he was instrumental in the growth of that firm from two locations into one of the largest tire and automotive service firms in the eastern U.S. After retiring from STS in 1989, Mr. Desnoyers spent time pursuing his interests in gardening, wood-working, and travel. He and his wife enjoyed many trips abroad, both as a couple and with friends and family. In recent years, they especially enjoyed time every winter in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as family time on Long Beach Island, NJ. Although Mr. Desnoyers suffered considerable hearing loss as a young man, he loved opera, and he and his wife regularly attended the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He also raised his own voice in song every Sunday as a member of the parish at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Martinsville, NJ. He believed deeply in the value of education and he and his wife have established scholarships at their alma maters, Lehigh University and Endicott College, in memory of their parents. In addition to his adored and adoring wife, Nancy, Mr. Desnoyers leaves five children; Anne Neikirk of Volant, PA; Marsy Desnoyers of Kensington, MD; Jacques Desnoyers of Somerville, NJ; Lisa Desnoyers of Bound Brook, NJ; and David Desnoyers of Arlington, VA; as well as five grandchildren; Wendy, Richard, and Daniel Neikirk, and Julia and Pauline McMurry. Survivors also include two brothers, Gaston Desnoyers of Palm Coast, FL (formerly of Basking Ridge), and Albert Desnoyers of Amelia Island, FL (formerly of Watchung), as well as numerous nieces and nephews. The family will be receiving visitors on Thursday, November 10 at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Boulevard, Watchung from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A memorial Mass will be said at 10:30 a.m., Friday, November 11, at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Washington Valley Road, Martinsville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to some of the organizations that Mr. Desnoyers supported; the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, 28 Kennedy Blvd., Suite 180, East Brunswick, NJ 08816 or the Desnoyers Scholarship Fund at Lehigh University, 27 Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA 18015, or the Several Sources Foundation, P.O. Box 157, Ramsey, NJ 07446.