Allan Jean LaRochelle

The family of Allan LaRochelle of Preeceville, beloved husband of Catherine, sadly announce his passing on Friday, June 19, 2026. He was 61 years of age.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. from the Chapel of Preeceville Funeral Home with Crystal Bailey, Certified Celebrant officiating.

The interment will take place in the Preeceville Community Cemetery.

Memorial donations in memory of Allan LaRochelle may be made to STARS Air Ambulance or to assist with burial expenses as gifts of remembrance.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.

Allan Jean LaRochelle was born to Gayle and Gerald LaRochelle on January 26th, 1965 at Gravelbourg Hospital , SK. He was the second child born to Gayle and Gerald, and would be joined by a younger sister, and a younger brother in the years to follow.

Allan grew up on the family farm east of Gravelbourg, SK. As a boy, he attended Gravelbourg Elementary School, which had previously been the historic Convent of Jesus & Mary. As a child, Allan was often referred to as “grumble,” due to his serious demeanor and get-it-done attitude. Allan had several childhood friends, namely, Guy Fournier, Ron Lefebvre, and  many more who remained his closest friends through the course of his life. When the three boys weren’t in school, or working on their family farms, they were together snowmobiling, fishing, or fixing up cars. Allan was gifted with an eye for detail, and love of mechanics. He learned to fly at twelve years old, and would often say that flying was his “first love.” He would recount, through mischievous laughter, the many aviation adventures he took on; especially running away from home, at twelve years old, in one of the family airplanes. In his teens and twenties, Allan spent every moment he could in an autobody shop or airplane hangar. He was a superlative auto body technician and was well known for his flawless paint jobs.

Allan met Catherine Smith, and in a whirlwind romance in the winter of 1992, asked her to marry him, and the two were married on February 6th, 1993. He adopted her two young children, Ashton and Grayson, and the couple were blessed with two more children of their own, Victoria and Nicholas in the years to follow. Catherine and Allan settled down into married life, and purchased their first home in Hanley, SK in 1994, to be closer to Catherine’s mother Ila. The two enjoyed gardening, home renovation projects, and cooking together.

Allan and Catherine relocated to Saskatoon after Ila’s passing, allowing him to build his career while Catherine stayed home with their children. Allan worked at Kavia Autobody until 2009, when he took a paint rep job with Wally’s Coatings and began teaching others, and providing the tools, to accomplish his high standard autobody paint jobs in Canada and the US. In 2012, Allan, Catherine, and their youngest son, Nicholas, moved to Preeceville, SK. They dreamed of small town simplicity and larger gardens, quiet life, and the type of close-knit community Allan grew up with. Allan began working at C Hort’s Auto Body shortly after, and continued there until he retired, due to his declining health, in 2022. 

In 2023, through an ancestry DNA test, Allan was connected with a son he didn’t know he had; Ben Martinson. Ben became a huge part of Allan’s life, and Allan was incredibly proud of the man he is. In the last month of his life, Allan was able to do something he had dreamed of for years; He got one last flight with Guy Fournier.

Allan leaves behind his wife Catherine, children Ashton (Justen), Ben (Johanne), Grayson (Delaine), Victoria (Brendan), and Nicholas (Katelynn), as well as four grandchildren, Olivia, Charlotte, Runa, and Henry.

We shall remember a man full of Dad jokes, tales we’ve all heard a thousand times, and a laugh so contagious you can’t help but laugh along; A Jack of all trades, collecting expertise like baseball cards, and friends just the same. We will think of him when we see a plane overhead, and leave a brief silence, so wherever he is, he can still try to tell us exactly what plane it is.