By : Fred Langan
Fernand Roberge, who has died at the age of 85, was a well-liked resident of Knowlton who was active in the local community. He was an outgoing, friendly man with a unique career before retiring here. A long-time manager and part owner of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal, he was a member of the Senate of Canada and sat on several corporate boards, including Air Canada.
“He will be remembered as a generous, authentic, approachable man with a sharp sense of humour and a true bon vivant,” wrote his family.
Locally, Mr. Roberge was on the board of Théâtre Lac-Brome and the Knowlton Golf Club.
Career in Hospitality
Fernand Roberge was born on July 19, 1940, in Laurierville, Quebec. The hotel business was in his blood. His father Marcel Roberge was manager of the Chateau Bonne Entente in Quebec City; his mother Violette Couture worked with her husband in the hotel business. His parents sent him to an English language high school in Quebec City then to Loyola College in Montreal for one year.
From there, he then went to the Lausanne Hotel School in Switzerland, considered to be one of the top hotel schools in the world. On graduating he went to work at the Hotel Bonaventure in Montreal. At the age of 36 he became manager and president of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Montreal, the first francophone to hold that position.
Public Service and Connections
At the Ritz Carlton he became friendly with Brian Mulroney, the future prime minister. Mr. Mulroney named him to the Senate in 1993. He resigned from the Senate in 2000 when he was 60. There were politicians in his family: his grandfather Eusèbe Roberge was a longtime Liberal Member of Parliament for Megantic.
Mr. Roberge is survived by his wife Jocelyne Giguère, known to her friends and family as Jojo. The couple were married for 62 years. He also leaves his daughters Sophie and Isabelle, his sister Marthe and five grandchildren.
Celebration of Life
A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, April 8, at the Ritz-Carlton, Montreal.
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