Gregory “GrouchO” Marcil

Gregory “GrouchO” Joseph Andrew Marcil
May 15, 1952 — April 19, 2013
Born to Anita and Rene Marcil in Waterbury Connecticut, the third of four children, two older sisters, Sonny and Elise, and a younger brother named Guy. Sonny died in her mother’s arms when Greg was two, something that he never really recovered from.
In 1969, he left high school, which held no interest for him, and decided to join the Navy and see the world. His dad took him to the bus which would take him to boot camp, gave him $40, and sent him on his way.
It was in the Navy that he earned the name he would be known as for the rest of his life. His U.S.S. Enterprise shipmates took to calling him Groucho, because of his resemblance to the old-time comic Groucho Marx. His favorite joke was the one about the elephant in the pajamas.
On leave, Groucho came for the first time to Helena with ship-mate and life-long friend, Jeff Kindrick – there was always a spot to sleep.
He spent three years, seven months and 29 days at sea aboard the Enterprise, and rode a motorcycle while he was stationed in California. Groucho got out of the Navy in 1975 and returned to Connecticut, where it didn’t take long for the too-close neighbors to get the better of him. Satisfying a long-term desire to hitch-hike across the country, he struck out with a pack and a canteen. Five days later, Jeff’s phone rang. “Hey Grouch! I’ve got that fifty bucks I owe you, I was about to send it to you. ” – “Forget it Jeff, just come down to O’Toole’s and get me.” Helena became his home thereafter.
One night, in 1975, Groucho met Patty Rose Rogers at a night club. “Wanna dance?” he asked, doing his best disco moves to Proud Mary. “They call me Groucho.” — “Why,” Patty kidded him “is it because you’re Grouchy?” Together they raised two children; Andrew Rene Marcil, born in 1981, and a year and a half later, Monica Elise Marcil. Andrew gave Groucho a grandson in Cody Gregory Marcil, and two adopted grand-daughters. Monica is pursuing a career in Graphic Design which has taken her to New York. Andrew is climbing the corporate ladder at Applebee’s in Helena, where he has been working for nine years.
Groucho worked in the Mechanical Maintenance department at the Helena Regional Airport, with intuitive ability to fix ANYthing, he inhabited the role of Diesel Mechanic and all-around fix-it guy for 25 years before beginning his well-earned retirement in 2012. His friends at the airport will remember his dry humor.
Those who met him knew him as a larger-than-life character. He worked hard, he played hard, he had strong opinions and wasn’t shy about expressing them. He was honest – Groucho couldn’t lie to save his soul. He inherited ferrets from Andrew, who ended up being allergic to them. Groucho loved those ferrets more than he ever admitted. He pursued his interests with humble candor, never showing off, but always doing his best. He tied flies for his fly-fishing; he was a photographer, for which he got several blue ribbons at the Lewis and Clark County Fair; an amateur astronomer with a full size telescope in the backyard, he would sit for hours in the dark with his kids, whispering the names of stars and constellations; he built kites for his children and grandchildren which were flown at the annual Helena Kite Festival; he was an excellent cook, making some of the best spaghetti and lasagna around; he gardened snow peas, carrots, green beans, corn, radishes, and was especially proud of his tomatoes, which he grew from seeds in the picture window of his home.
There he died; in the house he designed, built, raised his family in, and on the property he loved so much. On the morning of April 19, 2013, Gregory “GrouchO” Joseph Andrew Marcil passed from us, sitting in his favorite spot on the couch, ending his long struggle with COPD.
Groucho did not want a funeral, but the family will be receiving friends at Twichel’s Funeral Home, 314 North Rodney Street from 5-7pm on Tuesday, April 23, to allow friends to pay respects and to say goodbye. The family plans to host a gathering in July to celebrate his life and to remember him for who he was to each of us. The family requests that if you wish, memorials may be sent to the Humane Society.

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