Odette M. Leclerc

Odette M. (Couture) Leclerc, 83, of Berlin, passed away on Tuesday September 22, 2020 at the Androscoggin Valley Hospital. She was born in Berlin on December 24, 1936 the daughter of the late Henri and Helene (Audett) Couture and was a lifelong resident. She graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1955 and married her husband of 64 1/2 years, Don Leclerc, on May 12, 1956. Odette worked for Converse Rubber Company and later served as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Gorham, N.H.



A woman of many of interests, Odette loved gardening, bird watching, hiking, knitting, and especially reading. Unlike her husband who preferred the comforts of home, Odette also loved to travel with her children and grandchildren, and she enjoyed trips to Hawaii, Florida, France, and Prince Edward Island.



Odette’s true passion, especially in recent decades, was history, and she dedicated much of her time to the Berlin and Coos County Historical Society. Odette helped to found the Society’s current home, the Moffett House and Museum, in 1997. She could often be found at the Moffett House, whether helping visitors at the genealogy center there or guiding school groups through the city’s rich history. She also enjoyed working the Society’s barn sales and museum at the Brown Company Barns. We know her second family at the Moffett House will miss her deeply.



She is survived by her loving husband, Don; her son Roland “Butch” and the “Maine Leclercs” (daughter-in-law Marie and grandchildren Jeff, and Jeanna, and Jeanna’s wife Elizabeth); her son Denis and the “Massachusetts Leclercs” (daughter-in-law Karen and grandchildren Jackson, Don, and Don’s wife Tracey); her brother Ron Couture of Freemont, CA; and nieces and nephews, cousins, and extended family who are too numerous to name here but were loved all the same. She was also close to her surviving brother- and sisters-in-law, Paul Leclerc, Lorraine Leclerc, and Anita Trahan. She was predeceased by her sister Lillian (Couture) Lizzie. All will miss her warm presence and gentle humor.



Services will be private. Arrangements are entrusted to the Bryant Funeral Homes, Berlin and Gorham, NH. In lieu of flowers, Odette’s family asks that you consider a donation to the Berlin and Coos County Historical Society, 119 High St., Berlin, NH, 03570. Online guestbook at www.bryantfuneralhome.net.