Julian Louis Bechard

Waterville-Julian Louis Bechard, 80, passed away on April 7 2014, surrounded by his loved ones at his lifetime home in Waterville. Julian was born in Waterville on February 22, 1934, the son of Lucien and Mary Hogan Bechard. He grew up in Waterville and attended grammar school there until the age of 12. He Attended St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, MA., where he played football and hockey and graduated in 1951. He attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, where he graduated in 1955. Julian married Diane Cyr at Saint Peter and Paul Church in Lewiston in 1956. Julian and Diane resided in Waterville where they raised four sons and where Julian worked for, then owned and operated Universal Tire Company until 1995. Diane and Julian worked together in the business for many years and developed an intimate and poignant partnership. Julian was a long timer member, President and officer of the Exchange Club in Waterville. He was a member of the very first Parish Council of the Sacred Heart Church in Waterville in 1968. During his retirement, he served on the board of High Hopes Club House in Waterville and was a member of National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI. Julian and Diane were facilitators of the NAMI Mid Maine Support group for several years. Julian was an avid fan of all of the Boston professional sports teams and especially the Boston Bruins. He was fortunate to see all four teams with World Championships in recent years. He was a voracious reader and was keenly interested in current events, local and national politics and world affairs. Julian loved his family and was always interested to learn of their pursuits, challenges and interests. If he seemed quiet, it was because he was the best listener in the room. He had a wonderful dry sense of humor which was almost certainly influenced by his Jesuit teachers at Holy Cross, and which he honed by years of his own wry storytelling and interactions with the customers and employees of his business and elsewhere. He was devout and faithful Catholic and was a member of Corpus Christi Parish in Waterville. Julian was predeceased by his son Christopher and his sister Doris Sullivan. He is survived by his wife Diane and her brother Ralph Cyr and his wife Annette; son John and his daughters Katherine and Marie-Elise, his wife Dorcas Riley and her daughter Avanelle and son Mitch. He is also survived by son Mark; and son Matthew and his wife Karyn and their sons Noah and Samuel. He is also survived his Christopher's wife Pennie and their son Luke. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 A.m. Thursday, April 10, 2014 at Notre Dame Church, 112 Silver St., Waterville. Burial will be in St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Waterville at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Julian's name may be made to the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, 101 Silver St., Waterville 04901 or to NAMI Mid Maine, C/o Carole Works, 245 So. Reynolds Rd., Winslow. The family would like to express the deepest gratitude to MaineGeneral Hospice Care for the personal and loving care they provided Julian in his final days. An on-line guest book may be signed and condolences may be expressed at www.gallantfh.com.