Roland A. Devost

NORTON, VT – It is with great sadness that the family of Roland A. Devost announces his passing on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, in West Stewartstown, NH. Roland joins his wife Rita who preceded him in her ascendance to heaven in June, 1999. For Roland and Rita Devost, there was nothing in life that they treasured more than the legacy of the family they raised together. That family includes four sons; Andrew, Gerald, Ronald and his wife Francine, and Roland Jr. and his wife Bexie, seven grandchildren,and 15 great-grandchildren. Their sense of family extended well beyond their direct descendant,s and Roland and Rita never hesitated to open their home or their dinner table to friends who became extended members of the Devost family over time. Born on Feb. 15, 1920, in Norton, he was a son of David and Blanche (Molloy) Devost, and a lifetime resident in the town of Norton. Roland was the perfect example of Northeast Kingdom hardiness when he started his logging company by working his team of horses in weather conditions that modern tractors could not navigate at the time. His hard work and tenacity led to the development of a decades-long family logging and construction business that still has roots in the town of Norton with his sons Gerry and Ronnie, and his grandson Steve. Gerry and Ronnie worked with their father throughout his career establishing Devost Logging as a multi-generation business that acted as custodian and steward to much of the vast wilderness within Norton and surrounding towns. His strong work ethic went into everything he did, and he always found time to volunteer in the community, holding a number of positions in the town of Norton, and never turning down a neighbor in need of assistance. Upon retirement he continued to keep busy with a variety of projects, often enlisting his grandchildren to assist him. While Roland might have had a stoic and serious exterior, his friends knew him as a man with a great sense of humor who loved practical jokes and could break into fits of laughter retelling stories in the company of family and friends. Some of his practical jokes are so endearing that they have been retold each year at deer camp for several decades. He was an avid hunter and his knowledge of the local woodlands resulted in a long streak of successful hunts and the bagging of several record-setting whitetail deer in the state of Vermont. His passion for hunting translated into multiple expeditions and a trophy collection that included elk, caribou, and other large game from the hinterlands of the U.S. and Canada. His passion for hunting was instilled in his sons, and the Devost deer camp, which he constructed with them over 50 years ago, still fills up with generations of hunters that include his sons, grandsons, nephews, cousins, and a handful of close friends every November. Roland is also preceded in death by his second wife, Wilma (Mason) Devost, earlier in 2016. There are no public calling hours. A graveside committal service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2017, at St. Bernard's Cemetery in Norton, Vt. Condolences may be offered to the family on-line by going to www.jenkinsnewman.com. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Jenkins & Newman Funeral Home in Colebrook.

Roland A. Devost

February 15, 1920 - October 13, 2016