William H. "Bill" Rousseau

With hearts full of gratitude and sorrow for the husband, father, brother, and friend we loved, we announce the passing of William “Bill” Howard Rousseau, age 75, of Methuen, Massachusetts. Bill passed away on July 9, 2026, surrounded by family and loved ones in the house he built with his own two hands.

Born on January 2, 1951, Bill was the son of Dorothy and Raymond Rousseau, who lived through the Great Depression and taught him to do a great deal with very little. Bill carried that resourcefulness with him throughout his life. He saved bottle caps, popsicle sticks, and countless other items, thinking they might come in handy someday. Nothing delighted him more than when one finally did and he could proudly say, “See? Good thing I saved this!”

Bill could figure out how to fix just about anything. As a handyman, his clients knew there was very little they could not ask of him. (He even took a few of their blood pressures!) Over time, many came to consider him not just “their handyman,” but their friend.  

Bill was known for his humor, generosity, strong work ethic, and deep love for his family. He treasured the time he spent with his grandchildren, Jovanna, Eva, Jamari, Miles, Julian, Cypress, Valoria, and his little “mini-me,” Alex. He was equally well known for his beloved pet squirrel, Jasper, and his family takes comfort in imagining them together again. Those who knew Bill will remember him in his overalls, his pockets full of tools, always ready to fix something and make a joke, even during the hardest times.

He is survived by his wife, Gayle Rousseau; his six children and their partners, Christine Wynns and her husband, Xavier, Julie Kiraly and her husband, Ian, Jeffrey Ciras-Rousseau and his wife, Sarah, Jonathan Rousseau and his wife, Jacqueline, Joseph Rousseau and his wife, Zoe, and Bethany Rousseau and her partner Sean Fontes. Bill also leaves  his siblings and their partners, Jean Chabot and her husband, Steve,  Nancy Blackden, and Richard Rousseau and his wife, Whitney.

He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who loved him.

Family and friends are invited to an hour of visitation on Tuesday July 14, 2026 from 9am to 10am at St. Francis of Assisi Church 115 Wheeler Road, Dracut, MA. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 am on Tuesday at the church. Burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery, Methuen. To leave an online condolence, please visit Bill’s tribute page at www.dewhirstbolesfuneral.com .

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