BELCHERTOWN — Father Vernon Decoteau, a priest for 41 years who died unexpectedly last week, was remembered as a loving and fun-loving human being at a funeral service attended by more than 1,000 people at the St. Francis of Assisi Parish here, which he led since 1996.
Nelson Garrow fought to hold back tears during an interview in the entranceway to the church as he related how Decoteau agreed to become his daughter Hailey’s godfather. “He was one of the nicest people I have ever known,” said Garrow. “I just feel so much love for the man and gratitude for him.”
In his homily, Rev. Daniel Boyle, remembered his good friend as someone who would not let a mere snowstorm delay a Caribbean vacation. Instead of giving in to a cancelled flight at Bradley International Airport, Decoteau took a taxi to the train station, then took two trains to Baltimore where he flew to a neighboring island and boarded a boat to be greeted by Boyle “and the largest gin and tonic you ever saw.”
Decoteau, who was 68, died from complications resulting from heart bypass surgery, according to a written statement by the Springfield Diocese. He was born in Pittsfield and grew up in North Adams.
Boyle, who is the pastor of the St. Cecilia Parish in Wilbraham, also spoke of Decoteau’s affection for Broadway show tunes and relayed a story of how he caught the attention of former President and First Lady George and Barbara Bush when he was regaling friends in a bar in Kennebunkport, Maine. Boyle read aloud a letter from the Bush family mourning Decoteau’s death, saying “our loss is heaven’s gain … we can only imagine the singing and dancing going on there right now.”
Another mourner at Friday’s service was Christine Ward of Ludlow who doesn’t belong to the Belchertown parish but often attends services there because of her affection for Decoteau going back to when she wrote him a letter about a family crisis she was going through. “He replied in a personal and beautiful way; he was a wonderful man,” she said.
Tom Barry, a parishioner who was at the service as part of the Knights of Columbus honor guard, called Decoteau “an incredible man.” Barry told of how when he was about to start treatment for throat cancer three years ago, Decoteau said a prayer for him during the Sunday service but quickly added that doing so was not enough. “He told me to come to the rectory and he gave me a bottle of holy water from Lourdes,” referring to a town in France known to Catholics as a place of healing.
“He made everyone feel special,” said Barry.
Rev. Michael Pierz, who said he knew Decoteau well, having come to the Belchertown parish 10 months ago as a Parochial Vicar, called him “a priest’s priest” who had a “great love for and devotion to the official part of the church and the divine promise.”
Pierz said he was able to pray with Decoteau shortly before he died and was able to see first hand the love his parishioners had for him. “He baptized entire generations and then married them,” said Pierz. “There are so many young parishioners who are so upset because they can’t believe that the priest who baptized them, gave them first holy communion, prepared them for confirmation and they were planning to have him marry them, unfortunately passed away, they couldn’t believe that.”
Before coming to Belchertown, Decoteau served as pastor of the former Blessed Sacrament Parish in Northampton from 1992 to 1996, according to the diocese.
He served as an assistant priest at St. Mary Parish in Westfield from 1975-1979 and also was chaplain for the Newman Community at Westfield State College from 1976-1979.
Decoteau taught at Cathedral High School from 1979 to 1982 and then earned a master’s degree in liturgy from Notre Dame University. He was assigned to the Office of Pastoral Ministry and Worship and was director of the Priests’ Choir from 1983 to 1992. He also served as diocesan director of ceremonies during that time.
Tamara Falcone, a longtime parishioner, remembered Decoteau’s fondness for hosting picnics on the lawn of the rectory behind the church.
After Friday’s service there was also a picnic. Besides food there was a sound system. The music was Broadway show tunes.
Eric Goldscheider can be reached at eric.goldscheider@gmail.com