Obituary of Paul Leo Bourcier

Paul Leo Bourcier August 19, 1914 â?? June 14, 2008 Paul Bourcier passed away on June 14th at the age of 93. He was born on August 19, 1914 in Bemidji, MN to Charles and Bertha Bourcier. Paulâ??s family moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1930. Paul graduated from Camas High School in 1933 and Crown Zellebach was his employer until 1940. In 1939 Paul joined the Oregon National Guard Battery â??Eâ?? 204th Field Artillery Battalion, 41st Division. The division was later renamed the 965th Field Artillery Battalion. In September, 1940 he was inducted into the Army of the United States, serving out of Fort Lewis, WA where his maneuver training took him to several military bases. In 1942 he received the rank of Staff Sergeant. Paulâ??s World War II service included landing on Utah Beach in July 1944, the Battle of the Bulge and at the cessation of hostilities in Europe the battalion had served a total of ten months on the continent. Aside from a 5-day period spend in an assembly area subsequent to the Rhine River crossing, the entire service was spent either in actual firing position or movement to position. During the inactive period in the assembly area the battalion extracted and turned in many prisoners. He received his Honorable Discharge in October, 1945. Following the war, Paul married Helen Jean Herr on November 10, 1945. They moved to Ryderwood, WA where Paul worked for Long Bell Lumber Co. and opened a Barbershop. The family later moved to Glenwood and Klickitat, WA where he was a Camp Clerk for the J. Neils Lumber Co. The family returned to Camas in 1956 where he worked at the Central Research & Development Division of Crown Zellerbach until 1979 when he retired. Paul and Helenâ??s travels included trips in their travel trailer to Florida and later to Nova Scotia. A sailboat trip up the Inside Passage to Juneau, AK was his favorite. Paul is survived by his wife Helen Bourcier of Camas, WA; his children Paulette Sill of Juneau, AK, Janice Neary of Scottsdale, AZ, Francis Bourcier of Camas, WA, Louise Bourcier of Anchorage, AK; 3 grandchildren; and his sister Catharen Rose of Kent, WA. He was preceded in death by his siblings Fred Bourcier, Glendora Fry, Les Bourcier, George Bourcier and Charles Bourcier. Paul was a member of the St. Thomas Catholic Church where a rosary service was held on June 19th and a funeral Mass on June 20th. He was honored with a Resolution of Condolence by the Knights of Columbus. At the Camas Cemetery, the Veteranâ??s Administration performed a flag ceremony with presentation, and the American Legion fired a three-gun salute and played taps. Donations may be made to any branch of the Veteranâ??s Administration. Sign the online guest book @ www.straubsfuneralhome.com.