MANCHESTER, NH — Vincent (Vin) M. Roukey, 87, passed away at Catholic Medical Center on March 25, 2020 after a brief illness.
Vin was blue-eyed and charming, quick-witted until his last breath. He drank black coffee, was a devoted watcher of westerns, and he whistled constantly. He was an accomplished, feisty golfer. He had a perfectly manicured lawn. He could complete crossword puzzles in record time, and he was kind and friendly to everyone he met. He had a big, genuine laugh. He was strict with his children, which was a big surprise to his grandchildren. His smile was mischievous, and hugs were truly without comparison. He will be remembered for those hugs along with his sense of humor, his good nature, and (perhaps most of all) for the great love he had for his friends and his family.
Born at home in Manchester on August 12, 1932, Vin was the youngest son of Ellsworth and Veronica Roukey. His five siblings – all of Manchester and deceased – were Joseph Roukey, Effie Roukey, Mary (Roukey) Martini, Jack Roukey, and Albert Roukey.
In 1950, Vin graduated from Manchester West High School. Along with his buddies Herb Wenzel and Bruce Johnson, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corp (USMC) in 1951 and was a Korean War Veteran. After leaving the service, Vinnie joined the Manchester Water Works. He retired after 33 years as Meter Department Supervisor.
Vinnie was a loving, devoted husband and father. There was nothing he enjoyed more than being around family, and the love he had for his wife Louise – who passed away in 2013 – was an inspiration to everyone who knew them. Vin enjoyed bowling and softball (Wolfe Park) in his younger years, but gave that up after catching the golf bug later on. Vin played golf most of his life at both Intervale Country Club (where he eventually became President) and Derryfield Country Club. Vin and Lou – or “Weezie,” as he called her – were both avid golfers and loved to travel to play. Vin also enjoyed playing in golf tournaments, earning a nickname he got a big kick out of: “Crookie Roukey.”
Vinnie is survived by four sons: Timothy Roukey and his wife Lori of Henniker, Stephen Roukey and his wife Mary of Manchester, Thomas Roukey of Littleton, CO, and Kevin Roukey and his fiancée Jeanine Roy of Manchester. He joins grandson Aubery Roukey in the great beyond but leaves behind nine living grandchildren (Caitlin Maccabe, Sean Roukey, Erin Farenwald, Krystal Jackson, Cory Roukey, Tom Allen, Lindsay Faucher, Nate Allen, and Nick Roukey) and ten great-grandchildren (Annabelle, Travis, Willa, Odin, Mackenna, Mia, his namesake Vincent, Lola, Freya, and Rowan). There were so many babies born into the family he’d built in recent years that he actually kept a list of them on his desk. Every one of them, it goes without saying, loved their GG dearly.
As we say goodbye to Vin, we can all hear his voice repeating the words he borrowed from one of his favorite old TV shows. “Who loves ya, baby?” It was a question he always asked, with an answer we always knew: he loved us. We, in turn, will love him and miss him forever.
SERVICES: Due to COVID-19 and restrictions on large assemblies, there will be no services for Vin at this time. The Roukey family will host a Celebration of Life at a later date, most likely this summer. Vin will be laid to rest at Lambert Funeral Home and Crematory in the interim.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars at https://heroes.vfw.org/ or to the Visiting Nurses Association at https://www.manchestervna.org/.
