Robert Rodolfe Dufresne

Robert Rodolfe Dufresne, age 84, of Sun City Center, Florida, passed away peacefully on July 3, 2026, after a long battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). He was born on March 27, 1942, in Lewiston, Maine, to Cecile (Michaud) and Rodolfe Dufresne. To family and friends, he was simply known as Bob or Duke. He often referred to himself as “Save a Buck Bob” because he could repurpose just about anything into something useful. Bob got his first job at the age of 14 working as a carpenter’s helper and held several jobs before finding his calling as a firefighter. He served with the Auburn Fire Department for 25 years, retiring as a Lieutenant. During those years, he also worked for a construction company and owned and operated both a chimney cleaning business and a handyman business. Outside of work, he was deeply passionate about community volunteering, gardening, traveling, golf, and particularly woodworking, where he was a leader of the Sawdust Engineers in Sun City Center, Florida. He was happiest when he was finding something old, fixing it, and making it usable again. More than anything, Bob was a devoted father and family man. He showered his children and grandchildren with unconditional love, helped them learn to be confident and self-sufficient, and exemplified the importance of being a good person. Bob is survived by his loving spouse of 63 years, Germaine (Perrier) Dufresne; his children, Donna Hilliard (Steve) and Daniel Dufresne (Tina); his grandchildren, Stephen Hilliard (Lauren), Craig Hilliard (Lauryn), Lindsay Hilliard Lavado (Brian), and Hayley Dufresne; his great-grandchildren, Henry and Madison Hilliard; his siblings, Gerard Dufresne (Sharon), Connie Richard (Al), and Marc Dufresne (Sue); as well as his sister-in-law, Anita Perrier, and brother-in-law, Raymond Roy. His legacy lives on through the countless lives he touched with his kindness, generosity, craftsmanship, and unwavering devotion to family. A Funeral Mass will be held at Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Church in Pawley’s Island, SC, on August 1, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. The Mass will be live streamed https://boxcast.tv/channel/c3bjhvwppvc4vvssl9nt?b=kybtzmnhlei9wcwqmbse In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his honor to either CurePSP (psp.org), Tunnels to Towers (t2t.org), or the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (firehero.org).

Tributes

Robert Rodolfe Dufresne

March 27, 1942 - July 3, 2026