Roger René Gauthier, born February 4, 1962, in the small town of Iroquois Falls, Ontario, passed away peacefully one day before his 64th birthday at home in Cornwall, Ontario, on February 3, 2026, after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer.

He had three children from his first marriage — Alexandra, Robert, and Maxwell — and raised them in Freeport, Bahamas. There he built a respected business as a watch and jewelry repairman and proudly owned and operated Island Watch Repair. Known for his precision, patience, and skill with his hands, he earned the trust of many loyal customers over the years. He developed a love for grandfather clocks, and for the rest of his life his homes always had at least one to chime each hour.

After returning to Canada in 2006, Roger later met Rosa Gonzalez, who became his partner in life and his beloved "Moose." Roger and Rosy built a life together and welcomed their daughter, Samantha. Roger went on to excel in sales, where his intelligence, warmth, humor, and natural gift for connecting with people made him especially successful and well liked.

Roger was highly intelligent, outgoing, and active in every community he lived in. Fluent in both French and English, Roger later fell in love with Spanish as an adult and took great pride in learning and using it. He loved language, conversation, and wordplay — especially his well-known dad jokes and rhyming one-liners. Family and friends will forever remember his playful expressions like “cool like a pool,” “know what I mean, jellybean?” “Guess what? Chicken butt!” and “you think you’re funny? Funny-looking!” delivered with a grin.

He loved nature, golf, woodworking, cooking, and building things with his hands. Even in his final months, he continued renovating his home and crafting decorative pieces that his family will treasure for years to come. He also cherished his three crazy dogs, Coco, Mickey & Jessie.

Roger was a devoted and fiercely protective father when his children were young and lived with him, never hesitating to stand strong when it came to their safety and well-being. He brought big energy into a room — a big voice, big laughter, and a big heart. Though he couldn’t carry a tune and had two left feet, that never stopped him from loudly singing and dancing with his family and creating moments filled with laughter. His favorite way to greet his family each day was "Good morning, Sunshine!", and "You are My Sunshine" was his special song for his daughters.

Roger will be remembered for his humor, his craftsmanship, his fierce love for his family, and his ability to make people feel welcome. His legacy lives on in the things he built, the lives he touched, and the stories that will continue to be told with laughter and love.

He was predeceased by his father, Leopold Gauthier; his mother, Thérèse Gauthier; his sister, Rolande (Richard) Labine; and his brother, Claude Gauthier.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Rosa “Rosy” Gonzalez; his children Robert Gauthier, Maxwell Gauthier, Alexandra (William) Sweeting, and Samantha Gauthier-Gonzalez; and his granddaughters Abigail Sweeting and Hadassah Sweeting. He is also survived by his brother André (Ellen) Gauthier; his sisters Diane (Guy) Tessier, Jocelyne (Yvon) Richard, Lorraine (Michel) Larocque, Colette (Marcel) Denis, and Nicole Gauthier; along with a host of many nephews, nieces, relatives, and special friends.

He is also remembered by Rosy’s family: Alicia Galindo de Gonzalez (mother-in-law), Alfonso Gonzalez Gomez (father-in-law), Claudia Cecilia Gonzalez de Macias (sister-in-law), Raul Macias Reyna (brother-in-law), Blanca Alicia Gonzalez de Salazar (sister-in-law), Eduardo Salazar Gomez (brother-in-law), Carlos Alfonso Gonzalez Galindo (brother-in-law), Itzel Delgado de Gonzalez (sister-in-law), and other relatives.

Special thanks to: his medical team (especially nurse Vanessa Hanton & Dr. Menon), who delivered loving palliative care; the team at his workplace Alexandria Moulding (especially his bestie Nancy Boyle); Father Louis & St. Andrews Catholic Church; Nicky & Zoey Gauthier (for being with us during his passing); Basic Funerals and Cremation Choices - Ottawa; and to special friends & family for their support, including Fidel & Lia Cruz (best neighbors ever - like family!) Mark & Barb Arnold (always there for us), André Gauthier (our big bear), Rosy's siblings, and neighbors/friends who helped with our property and dogs when Roger became too ill.