Somerset Council on Aging

05/28/2026

The Somerset Council on Aging will be closed June, 1 - June 5, 2026 - our floors are being redone.

We will see you all back on June 8, 2026 😊

Send a message to learn more

05/22/2026

Somerset World War II veteran to turn 100 on Memorial Day

By GEORGE AUSTIN
SOMERSET - World War II veteran Leo Desrosiers will not only be observing Memorial Day on Monday, but he will also be celebrating his 100th birthday that day.
Desrosiers will be the grand marshal in the Somerset's Memorial Day Parade that is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on May 25.
Desrosiers grew up in Fall River and got drafted into the Army for World War II. He served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946. He was deployed in the artillery in Burma and China where he saw combat. Desrosiers said the Army was pushing the Japanese out of those places at that time.
Desrosiers said he packed saddles for the artillery, backed up the infantry and did whatever he could to help when they needed it.
Desrosiers said he left Burma to go to an airport in Taiwan where he had to pick something up and three planes were coming in with soldiers to invade Taiwan. Desrosiers said the United States was waiting for the right time to drop an atomic bomb on Japan at that time.
When Desrosiers returned home from World War II, he went to California and worked in an aircraft factory. He then took exams to become a corrections officer and worked in prisons in Walpole for one year and in Bridgewater for 29 years.
Desrosiers lives in the Inn at Clifton, an assisted living facility in Somerset. He lived in a house in Somerset for many years before moving to Clifton six months ago.
"The people here are great," Desrosiers said as he was sitting in a room at Clifton.
Desrosiers said staying active is his secret to a long life.
Today, Desrosiers enjoys bowling at AMF Somerset Lanes on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He is in second place in his Wednesday league. Desrosiers said he started bowling when he retired and has been doing so for the last 40 years. With a 15-pound ball, he bowled a 167 about a month ago.
"I can still get strikes," Desrosiers said.
Desrosiers said he can remember when the Braga Bridge was built. He lived in the Flint section of Fall River at the time. Desrosiers has two sisters and three brothers. He said one of his brothers was in the Air Force and has Agent Orange.
Desrosiers said serving as the grand marshal for the Memorial Day parade will be a great way to turn 100. People can see him along the parade route. The parade will begin at Somerset Berkley Regional High School and head east on Luther Avenue, north on County Street and east on Centre Street to the World War I Memorial on Riverside Avenue. A ceremony will be held at the WWI Memorial to honor military members who have died in the defense of freedom all over the world. After the ceremony, the parade will resume south on Riverside Avenue, west on Wood Street and south on County Street, ending at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall at the intersection of County Street and Washington Avenue.

05/21/2026

05/18/2026

We have a donation box set up at the COA if anyone would like to bring in items 🩷🩵

05/16/2026

The Somerset COA is looking for donations of toiletries to supplement our monthly food pantry - toilet paper, shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, laundry detergent, etc. We will also take small donations of pet foods.
Thank you!

05/14/2026

SOMERSET WINNERS May 13
Senior Trivia made its Somerset debut as the back end of a pasta-and-trivia doubleheader, and the come-from-behind winners were the Sassy Ladies, aka Debbie, Linda, Urania and Linda. Big, enthusiastic crowd on hand with several solid teams. Hats off to everyone in Somerset.

Senior Trivia is back at it on Thursday, May 14 (1pm) in Plainville.

Next week is chock full, with events in Dighton (Monday, May 18 at 12:05pm), Swansea (Tuesday, May 19 at 1pm), Raynham (Wednesday, May 20 at 2:30pm) and North Attleboro (Thursday, May 20 at 1pm).