Robert “Bob” Armand DeGuise

Robert “Bob” Armand DeGuise, 79, of Amherst, NH passed away unexpectedly while at home with his wife, on Thursday, August 8th, 2024.

Born in Franklin, NH on April 3rd, 1945, Bob was one of four children born to the late Gerard Joseph and Eva Cecile (Masse) DeGuise. Raised in Franklin NH, he was a graduate of St. Mary’s Catholic School and Franklin High School.

Bob joined the U.S. Army National Guard in 1964 as part of the 197th Artillery unit, was activated and deployed to Vietnam in 1968, completed his service in Korea, and was honorably discharged in 1969.

After high school Bob moved to CT to work as a jet engine test technician for Pratt & Whitney, enabling him to make a contribution to our military through his work. In the 1970s, Bob moved into sales as regional director for Holiday Magic, a natural cosmetics, party sales and distribution company. He acted as mentor and trainer for home party planners, and helped stay-at-home Moms develop into successful, cosmetic salespeople.

Bob then ventured into the emerging world of high tech, starting as a programmer and developing into an admired technology manager, consultant and teacher. In 1978, after two years at Associated Data Systems where he met his wife, Bob joined the burgeoning Digital Equipment Corp. as a software developer where he enjoyed the work and the company. After nine years at DEC, Bob moved into business process consulting, specializing in manufacturing operations.

From the 1980s through the 2000s, both Bob and his wife were traveling extensively for business for both domestic and global clients Bob particularly enjoyed his time in Geneva, Switzerland, the UK and the joint trips to Japan and China for work and vacation. Bob semi-retired in the 2000s, and began focusing on two challenging hobbies – woodworking and ancestry.

Bob lived his life according to a righteous, honest, moral set of values that he learned during an upbringing with older parents in the late 1940s. He respected and enjoyed the WWII generation but connected with his contemporaries in so many meaningful, cherished, long term friendships. Bob’s smile, his laugh, quick wit, and intellect always made time together more memorable. To kids he was a big teddy bear and to his adult friends and family, Bob was a strong, loving man who lived a values-based life.

Bob is pre-deceased by two siblings, his older brother, Gerard “Jack” DeGuise and his only sister, Cecile Lockwood.

He will be forever loved and cherished by his wife of 43 years, Barbara (Basiliere) DeGuise; his brother Paul DeGuise and wife, Gail, and sister-in-law, Nancy Deguise; his sister-in-law Jane and her husband, Alan Heacock; and three brothers-in-law, Paul Basiliere and his longtime companion, Cheryl Kalns, Thomas Basiliere and his wife Sharon Syrek, and Robert Basiliere and his wife Judith. Bob loved his numerous nieces and nephews more and an extended family of cousins on both sides of the family who provided an important family foundation for him.

A gathering of friends and family will be held at the Rivet Funeral Home, 425 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack NH on August 26th from 3 – 6 PM. On August 27th at precisely 12PM a service for Bob will be held in the chapel at the NH Veteran’s Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen NH. All are welcome to both gatherings.

For those who wish, memorial donations in Bob’s memory can be made to his favorite charity, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. To honor Bob in a more personal way, hold a party with your best friends, toast to the good life and give each other a hug. That’s what made Bob happiest.

Kindly visit rivetfuneralhome.com to leave an online condolence for the family.