Staff Sgt. Mark P. Barrette USMC, 32 Was Marine for 13 years; enjoyed spending time with family

WESTMINSTER - Staff Sgt. Mark P. Barrette USMC, 32, of 2 Otto Lane, died Friday, June 8, 2007, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Anaheim, Calif.

He was born in Leominster on Oct. 21, 1974, the son of Robert F. and Bernadette J. (Evans) Barrette, and lived in Westminster all of his life. He was a 1994 graduate of Oakmont Regional High School.

Mark had been a Marine for 13 years, and had served in Iraq from September of 2004 to April of 2005; he had recently been stationed in Camp Pendleton, California.

He loved his family, his fiancée, and felt that Lori was his sister. He was an avid motorcyclist, and taught motorcycle safety courses. He was a lifeguard, and enjoyed scuba and taught scuba. Mark was very active in sports such as roller hockey, mountain biking, snow skiing, boating, and cold weather training. He enjoyed playing hockey on play station with his father and brother. He also enjoyed vacationing in York Beach, and Walt Disney World with his family. Mark loved spending time with his family, and always had a smile, a joke and a good word for everyone. He loved his cats. Mark was especially proud to be a Marine.

Besides his parents, Robert F. and Bernadette J. "Bernie" (Evans) Barrette; Mark leaves his brother and sister-in-law, Michael T. and Lori (Fournier) Barrette of Orange; his nephew, Garrett Fournier, and his niece, Alexa Fournier-Barrette, both of Orange; the love of his life, Lily of California; two aunts and uncles, Carl and Lucille Bernhardt of Westminster and Paul and Linda Barrette of Leominster; three cousins, Christine Sheehan of Melrose, Kim Morin of Holden, and Shawn Barrette of Lunenburg; his godfather, Al Gingras of Fitchburg; and many close friends including Chester Flagg of Westminster. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Phillippe and Irene Barrette.

The funeral will be held Monday, June 18, from the Westminster Chapel of the Sawyer-Miller-Masciarelli Funeral Homes, 123 Main St., Westminster with a Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Edward the Confessor Church, 10 Church St., Westminster. Burial will be in Woodside Cemetery, 9 Narrows Road, Westminster. Calling hours are Sunday, June 17, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. in the funeral home. Memorial contributions can be made to the Mark Barrette Memorial Fund, to benefit Garrett Fournier and Alexa Fournier-Barrette, c/o I-C Federal Credit Union, 101 Main St., Westminster, MA 01473.