Born and raised in New Bedford, MA, son of the late Joseph A and Lillian M (Dufresne) Messier, Mr. Messier lived in Lambertville, NJ before returning to New Bedford several years ago. He served in the U.S. Army.

Mr. Messier was known for his business acumen and sense of humor. He was formerly employed as an insurance broker and went on to build additional businesses. He later was a consultant in insurance and real estate. Mr. Messier was an avid reader and car enthusiast.

Survivors include his 3 children, Lynn Hutchinson and her husband Ridgeley of Lambertville, NJ, Douglas Messier of Mojave, CA, and Christine Messier of San Diego, CA; a sister, Lucille Raffa of New Bedford; a brother, Leo Messier of Mount Juliet, Tennessee; 2 grandchildren, Kate Hutchinson of Oakland, CA and Stefanie Hutchinson of Fort Collins, CO; his former spouse, Shirley (Wiley) Messier, and nieces and nephews. He was the father of the late Gail Messier and the brother of the late Robert Messier.

Private funeral at Massachusetts National Cemetery on Dec. 31, 2018

Donations: Providence VA Medical Center, Rhode Island