Virgil H. Barber

VIRGIL H. BARBER
by Theodore J. Rouillard

Rouillard's book represents nearly a lifetime of research during which time he and his wife, Anita Remy Rouillard, traveled extensively, read voraciously, and took notes copiously in preparation for the publication of the book. It is the story of seven members of the Barber Family who loved Jesus Christ more than all else, dedicated themselves to the Catholic Church, and sacrificed their earthly lives for the hereafter.

Theodore J. Rouillard, Sr., 80 years of age, former Executive Secretary of the New Hampshire Insurance Agents and former managing editor of the Claremont Daily Eagle (now the Eagle-Times), died on October 13, 1991, following an extended illness. A native of Claremont, New Hampshire and a graduate of Stevens High School in the class of 1928, Mr. Rouillard was the son of Goidfroid J. and Delia (Brouillard) Rouillard. He married the former Anita Irene Remy of Claremont, who predeceased him in 1985. In 1929 Rouillard joined the news staff of the Claremont Daily Eagle as a reporter. He developed the Eagle's first sports page and wrote the popular daily column, "Talking O' Sports." He teamed with the late Joseph Gendron, editor of the Progress Bulletin, Pomona California, then Sports Editor of the Laconia Citizen (NH), William Stearns of the Dover Democrat, and Ruel Colby of the Concord Monitor in establishing the New Hampshire Sports Writes' Association.

Mr. Rouillard and the late Reverend Benjamin Sweet, then a member of the Eagle's advertising department, authored and developed a political column, "With New Hampshire in Washington," for the weekly newspapers of the State of New Hampshire. Much of Rouillard's feature story writing for the Daily Eagle was recognized with awards from the Associated Press, in competition with writers from other small New England city newspapers. He served as area correspondent for the Boston Globe, and some of his featured stories appeared in that newspaper. He was also a correspondent for the Manchester Union for several years. Among other newspapers which carried his feature work was the Sunday magazine section of the Worcester Telegram (MA).

When Lincoln O'Brien, who had published the defunct Boston Transcript, purchased the Daily Eagle, Mr. Rouillard became the City Editor. With the Eagle's inauguration of a complete editorial page, Kenneth Whipple became editor in chief, and Rouillard was appointed Managing Editor. In 1946, Rouillard was elected to a three year term on the Claremont School Board, and the following year he was elected Chairman of the School Board. He served on the Investigating and Building Committees for Maple Avenue School. Mr. Rouillard left the Daily Eagle in 1953 to become Executive Secretary of the New Hampshire Association of Insurance Agents and retired from the Association in 1973. His work in the public relations field was nationally recognized with the awarding of four commendations from the National Association in Washington, DC. He also received personal recognition at the National Association Annual Meeting in Chicago for his public relations accomplishments among New Hampshire's delegation in Congress. It was the first time that a state association secretary had been so honored. A number of his articles on insurance subjects appeared in trade magazines. It was also know that he did an extensive amount of "ghost" writing in the field of insurance. When an editorial on "Cheap Insurance" appeared in the Daily Eagle, Mr. Rouillard seized the opportunity to advance a national public relations effort which saw a nation wide mailing to advise States' associations to its value. This resulted in the distribution of hundreds of thousands of the articles throughout the United States among retail insurance buyers. For his effort, Rouillard received yet another award from the National Association.

Mr. Rouillard was an Honorary Life Third Degree Member of the Father Cote Council 1820, Knights of Columbus.

His internment in St. Mary Cemetery behind the first catholic church in New Hampshire and the subject of his decades of research on that church's founder is proper and fitting.