FARMINGTON — Friends of Reggie Marcoux are planning a benefit dinner to help with expenses for his memorial service.

A familiar face around Farmington, Marcoux, 70,  passed away on Jan. 17. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Wednesday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

A spaghetti dinner, raffle and silent auction will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at Trinity United Methodist Church on Farmington Falls Road.

Marcoux was a staunch self-advocate, said Darryl Wood, director of Life Enrichment Advancing People in Farmington, an organization where Marcoux was well known.

“You could not tell him he had a disability,” Wood said. “He seemed to fully believe diversity makes the human condition stronger.”

Marcoux served for several years as president of Speaking Up For Us. It is a group that helps give a voice to people who may otherwise not have voices, Wood said.

Sometimes Wood would give Marcoux a ride to town. Marcoux would recount who had lived in a particular house for 40 years and who was there before that, he said.

“He had a photographic memory and a real aptitude for history,” he said.  “If he was interested, he’d read and listen and never forget.”

“Reggie loved Farmington and had many friends all around town,” said Rick Dorian, friend and former LEAP director. “Many people would stop and talk to him every day. He was welcomed and accepted by everyone in town.”

Marcoux was always curious about what was happening in town, reading the paper every day and following local news, he said. 

“He liked to speak his mind on things he cared about, especially if he thought something wasn’t fair,” Dorian said.

The meal is an opportunity to remember him and help with his memorial expenses, Dorian said.

For more information, contact Dorian at 431-7929.