Paul L. Boisseau, Jr., 91, of Ayer

AYER/ SHIRLEY: Paul Leon Boisseau, Jr., age 91, died unexpectedly after a long and fulfilling life at Emerson Hospital in Concord on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Paul was born at the old Ayer Hospital in Ayer on March 15, 1935. A son of Paul Leon and Gertrude (Kidder) Boisseau and 1953 graduate of Ayer High School, he was the treasured brother of the late Chief (ret) Arthur J. Boisseau APD of Ayer who passed away in 2021; Barbara Boisseau of Groton, a former teacher at Ayer Junior-Senior High School who passed away in 2023; and Dorothy Boisseau of Providence, Rhode Island who passed away in 2024. Following his graduation from high school, Paul enlisted in the United States Army where he served honorably for over three years during the Korean Conflict. He then spent two years at a Franciscan seminary in Ohio, studying for the priesthood. Rather than take vows, he chose to return home to Ayer to marry and raise a family of four children. Paul worked for the United States Postal Service in Ayer, rising to the position of Superintendent of Postal Operations and retiring in 1990 after 32 years of service. He was also an active member of the American Legion Post #139 in Ayer, serving three terms as its Vice-President. For most of his life Paul attended St. Mary’s church in Ayer, later St. Anthony’s in Shirley and then St. Boniface Church in Lunenburg. At St. Mary’s he was an active church member, assisting at the altar and with collections, and serving on the parishioners’ committee to create the Nashoba Catholic Collaborative Parishes of St. Mary in Ayer and St. Anthony of Padua in Shirley—now known as the St. Nicholas Parish. His civic spirit extended beyond the church to shepherd Ayer voters through more than thirty years of elections, recording and counting their votes. Always known as a friendly and creative person, he was especially accomplished in wallpapering, rug-hooking, and water-color painting. Paul’s beloved wife of 45 years, Anita Louise (Coveno) Boisseau, a computer programmer and lifelong resident of Ayer, sadly passed away in July 2005. Paul was a wonderful father and cherished the people in his family. He leaves two sons, Curt Oren Boisseau of Ayer and Alan James Boisseau of Leominster; two daughters, Lois Ann Boisseau of Cocoa, Florida and Tracey Jean Boisseau of Damariscotta, Maine; five grandchildren, Curtis Anthony Boisseau, Melanie Elizabeth Weitzenkorn, Matthew Paul Ray, Jesi Leigh Ray, and Octavia Isis Anita Aurora; four great grandchildren, Jacquelyn Boisseau, Owen Weitzenkorn, Violet Weitzenkorn, and Brekyn Ray; as well as brother-in-law Bill Coveno and his wife Nickie and sons-in-law Kirk Hoppe and Mike Knight. He was an uncle to seven nieces and nephews, and six grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Paul also leaves Sally Nappila of Shirley—his loving and devoted companion of seventeen years. Paul’s family and loved ones will receive relatives, friends, and neighbors at calling hours from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at the Anderson Funeral Home, 25 Fitchburg Road, (Rte. 2A) Ayer. www.andersonfuneral.com A funeral Mass for Paul will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at St. Anthony’s Church, 14 Phoenix Street, Shirley. Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, located at 8 Bishop Road in Ayer.

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Paul L. Boisseau, Jr., 91, of Ayer

March 15, 1935 - May 19, 2026