Alain L. Bourhis

Alain Bourhis passed away in his sleep at his Natick home on Monday, April 11, 2022. He was the beloved husband of Charlotte Bourhis (née Smith) and devoted father of Nicolas “Nick” Bourhis, a mechanical engineering student at UMass Amherst. A New Jersey native and long-time Massachusetts resident, Alain’s unexpected death leaves behind his parents, Lucien and Madeleine (Caurant) Bourhis of Natick; his brother, Marc Bourhis, sister-in-law Tracy, and niece Grace, all of Fort Lauderdale, FL; his wife’s siblings and their families, including a nephew, Whitney Haring-Smith, and niece, Charlotte Smith, both of Washington, DC, and niece Emma Smith of Pittsburgh, PA; and many other loving relatives in the United States and France.

With a keen sense of humor and an encyclopedic knowledge of countless subjects, Alain could talk to anyone about almost anything. He reveled in lively debates (particularly about military history and current affairs), good food, and French wines. He was an aficionado of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, an avid Formula 1 and New England Revolution fan, and, in his younger years, an enthusiastic windsurfer. He took great delight in the successes of his son and enjoyed collaborating with him on science fair projects, Pinewood Derby entries, and the like, as well as coaching Nick’s soccer teams or simply cheering loudly from the sidelines. 

Alain received a BS from Lehigh University and a Sc.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT. He holds two U.S. patents. At his death, he was Technical Principal at Impact Technology Development; he worked previously at MODAR and Molten Metal Technology.

Visiting hours on Thursday, April 21, 3–6 pm, at John Everett and Sons Funeral Home at Natick Common, 4 Park Street, Natick. Funeral Mass at 10 am, Friday, April 22, St. Linus Catholic Church, 119 Hartford Street, Natick.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Alain may be made to GlobalGiving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, GlobalGiving, 1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005, USA or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168.

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