Jeffrey Wilson French

CONTOOCOOK-Joseph Wilson French, Jr., 81, died Tuesday, September 12, 2017 after a long illness. Joe was the son of Joseph Wilson French, Sr. and Helen Gladys (Fisk) French. He was born at the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, formerly Memorial Hospital, in Nashua, NH, on July 16, 1936.

He was educated in Merrimack, NH, schools, and attended Tilton School for a post-graduate year. He received a BS in Civil Engineering in 1961 from New England College in Henniker, NH. He held a certification as a Professional Engineer.

Joe worked on numerous roads, bridges, wastewater treatment facilities, gas plants, and dams. He worked for Shell Oil Co. in New York, and on the Kinzua Dam in Warren, Pennsylvania. He helped to build Anheuser-Busch breweries in Merrimack, NH; Williamsburg, VA; Columbus, OH; and Jacksonville, FL, and was the resident engineer for the can plant in Jacksonville.

Joe valued his family above all. He leaves his wife of 59 years, the Reverend Elizabeth (Little) French; daughter Brenda L. French and her husband Gary W. Gagne; son Joseph S. French and his wife Rebecca; son Peter D. French and his wife, Anne; son Matthew C. French and his wife Leigh-Ann and grandchildren Wilson, Anna, Erin, Jackson, Megan, Kylee, Christopher, and Jillian.

Joe was a voracious reader, and enjoyed watching horse-pulling events in NH and FL.

He will be deeply missed by his family.

Calling hours will be held on Friday, September 15, 2017, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Bennett Funeral Home, 209 N. Main St., Concord, NH.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Wound Care Center at Concord Hospital, Concord Hospital Trust, Office of Philanthropy, 250 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301 or www.ch-trust.org; The CRVNA Hospice, 240 Pleasant St., Concord, NH 03301; or the First Congregational Church, UCC, 1548 Hopkinton Rd. Hopkinton, NH 03229.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at https://www.BennettFuneral.com for the French family.