C. Arthur Soucy, 81, of Manchester died July 9, 2017 at a local healthcare facility surrounded by his loving family.
Born in Manchester on September 24, 1935, he was the son of Adelard and Fabiola (LaSante) Soucy. He was educated in the local parochial school system and was a 1954 graduate of St. Marie High School. He served in the U.S. Army National Guard.
C. Arthur was a man who dedicated his life to making a difference in the lives of others whether through elective office, his church, his businesses or through the many charitable organizations that he served on, C. Arthur lived to help others.
On April 16, 1966, C. Arthur married his loyalist supporter and the love of his life, Lillian (Provost) Soucy. C. Arthur and Lillian welcomed their daughter Donna the following year. C. Arthur and Lillian where especially proud that Donna would go on to follow in their footsteps serving as both an Alderman and State Representative. Donna currently serves in the NH State Senate. C. Arthur and Donna hold the distinction of being the only father and daughter to both serve as Aldermen for the City of Manchester.
C. Arthur owned and operated Youngsville Super Market in Manchester for nearly 20 years. C. Arthur was named “NH Grocer of the Year” in 1974. He proudly opened “The Wine Cellar” in 1975 having obtained the first license to sell wine in the State of NH in his grocery store. He had also worked for several years as a successful realtor and most recently had been employed by Brook Hollow Sand & Gravel in Londonderry.
C. Arthur’s involvement in politics began in the late 1950’s when he volunteered and worked on various campaigns most notably that of John F. Kennedy for President.
In 1961 C. Arthur was elected to his first term as Manchester’s Ward 12 Alderman, at age 26 he was one of the youngest to ever serve. He was reelected to a second term as Alderman and also served a term as Hillsborough County Commissioner. He went on to serve a record breaking fifty years of continuous service as a member of city boards and commissions. C. Arthur served twenty years as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner, sixteen as its chairman. He served on the Manchester Water Works Commission for twenty five years, eventually serving as President. C. Arthur served two terms on the Manchester Elderly Services Commission where he was known for gathering the most sponsorships and raffle prizes of any member. He was also elected a delegate to the NH state constitutional conventions in 1964 and 1984. He was three times elected Manchester ward six moderator and most recently was honored to serve as one of New Hampshire’s Presidential Electors in 2012 casting his ballot for the reelection of President Barack Obama. C. Arthur was presented a “Key to the City of Manchester” from six of Manchester’s mayors for his contributions to the betterment of the City of Manchester.
In 1963 C. Arthur founded the NH Young Democrats and was elected the organizations first President. Today the NH Young Democrats honor him annually by presenting the “C. Arthur Soucy Award”. He served for many years as the chairman of the Manchester Democrats which presents an annual “C. Arthur and Lillian Soucy Award” to honor their legacy. C. Arthur served on the NH Democratic State Committee and its executive committee through the years. In 2009 Governor John Lynch presented him the prestigious NH Democratic Party Dunfey-Kanteres Award.
He was honored by the NH Homebuilder’s Association in 2002 for his service, and by the New England Water Works Association in 2008. From 1992 to 1996 he served on the board of the New Horizons Manchester Soup Kitchen including serving for a time as its president. In March of 2015 C. Arthur was presented with a distinguished achievement award by the IAFF for his work on behalf of Manchester’s fire fighters. C. Arthur was a member of the American Legion Henry J.Sweeney Post 2.
He was a longtime active communicant of St. Pius X Church, serving on the parish council and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He had the distinction of being inducted to the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 2005. He was also a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus.
His family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the staff at St. Teresa Healthcare Center for the compassionate care they offered C.A. during his time there.
He was predeceased by his wife, Lillian (Provost) Soucy in 1990. He was also predeceased by his brothers Bertrand, George, Lionel, and Oscar and sisters Rachel Gagnon and Theresa Meadows.
Family members include his daughter, Donna Soucy of Manchester; his sisters, Lillian Carreau of FL, Florence Carey of MA; his sister-in-law Muriel Schadee and husband Robert of Concord; many cousins, nephews and nieces, including Michelle Messenger of Strafford and Kelley Bedard of South Lebanon, ME, with whom he shared special relationships.
Calling hours at Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, 1799 Elm St, Manchester, will be Wednesday, July 12 from 4 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Thursday at 10 a.m. in St. Pius X Church, Candia Road, Manchester. Committal prayers will follow in the mausoleum at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, 474 Goffstown Road.
Donations may be made in his memory to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society at St Pius X Church, 575 Candia Road, Manchester, NH 03109 or to St. Teresa Healthcare Center, 519 Bridge St, Manchester, NH 03104.
To send an online message of condolence, please go to www.lambertfuneralhome.com.
