CARIBOU – A funeral Mass is planned Tuesday for former state legislator Rosaire Sirois, who represented the Caribou area.

Sirois died Friday of pancreatic cancer. He was 76.

He represented the Caribou area in the Maine House of Representatives from 1994 to 2000.

Born in Hamlin on Aug. 26, 1924, Sirois was a World War II Army veteran, a member of Levasseur-Farrell American Legion Post No. 49 in Van Buren and a career railroad worker who retired as an engineer at Loring Air Force Base.

Visiting hours are scheduled for today, and a Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in North Caribou.

U.S. Rep. John Baldacci, D-Maine, noted that Sirois had been a strong advocate for northern Mainers in the Legislature.

While serving as Maine House District 149 representative, he was on the Business and Economic Development Committee and was an advocate of sound public policy to help existing businesses flourish.

He wrote legislation such as an act concerning blueberry practices and another creating a state patent program to help inventors.

After he retired, Sirois owned and operated Sirois Sharpening Service, which he ran from both his home and on the road. He also founded Reeny’s Industry for the protection and production of his inventions, which included his patented Winter Wonder, a traction enhancement device for vehicles, a design said to be imitated in some European countries.

Known for distributing the Eucharist to shut-ins and hospitalized, and for giving peppermints to anyone, Sirois was an active member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, Le Club Francais and the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.

Friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, at Mockler Funeral Home, 24 Reservoir St., Caribou. Those who wish to contribute in memory of Sirois may do so through the Dana Farber Institute Pancreatic Cancer Research, 44 Binney St., Boston, Mass. 02115, or with envelopes available at the funeral home.