Alvin "Sugs" LaFontaine, age 71, of Mott, ND, formerly of Williston and Belcourt, ND passed away at his home on Wednesday, November 16, 2016.

Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 10:00 am CT on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Belcourt, ND with Fr. Jeff Eppler officiating. Burial will follow at St. Benedict's Catholic Cemetery, rural Belcourt.

Visitation hours will be on Monday from 5:00 – 7:00pm with a Rosary and Wake Service starting at 7:00pm, and also on Tuesday from 8:00am until the time of the service, all at St. Ann's Catholic Church.

Serving as Honorary Casketbearers are Roman Marcellais, Stuart Medrud, Mike Malaterre, Austin Harris, Randy Zupan, and Ronnie Belgarde.

ALVIN "SUGS" LAFONTAINE was born in Rolla, ND on May 28, 1945 to Chris and Lillian (Burchum) LaFontaine. He attended Houle Elementary school and Belcourt High School. In 1965 he went to Chicago to study at a vocational trade school to become a diesel mechanic. Upon his graduation, he returned to ND and worked in the Rolla and Belcourt areas, first for the road department in Belcourt, and later, the Belcourt School System as a mechanic, a job he held for approximately 45 years.

In 1987, Sugs met Viola Champagne in Rolla, and the two were married in June, 1988. Their two families blended together as one, and he loved all the children as his own. He retired from the school system in 1996 and took a job with Turtle Mountain Manufacturing as a maintenance worker, and also worked at Turtle Mountain Sky Dancer Casino as a janitor. When the family moved to Williston in 1999, his "part-time helper" job with the school system soon became a full time janitor and supplier position. Sugs and Viola just recently moved to Mott, ND, and he was already getting to know and tease the guys at the Pheasant Café over a friendly cup of coffee.

Sugs was known as a "jack-of-all-trades" as he could fix anything. He could do everything from building houses to overhauling old car engines. Throughout the years, he loved to fish, hunt, do woodworking, listen to fiddle music, and watch old time jigging and square dancing. Sugs enjoyed visiting with people, and was known for teasing and kidding around with his good sense of humor. He and Viola, together, liked going to auction and garage sales, and exploring the sights and history of perhaps little known places right here in North Dakota. Even though he didn't get to spend nearly enough time with his children and grandchildren, he dearly treasured the time they did have together.


Keeping him in their fondest memories are his wife, Viola, Mott, ND; sons, Jerrod (Angell Patnaude) LaFontaine, Minot, ND; Merle Allard, East Grand Forks, MN; Chris (Lorena) LaFontaine, Williston, ND; daughters, Vicky Payer, Belcourt, ND; Crystal (Chopper Fairbanks) Peltier, Red Lake, MN; Monica (Carlos Martinez) Peltier, Grand Forks, ND; brothers, Leonard (Marie) LaFontaine, Belcourt, ND; Aaron LaFontaine, Seattle, WA; sisters, Frances Belgarde, Belcourt, ND; Irene Bear Runner, Belcourt, ND; 17 grandchildren, Crystal, Jace, Trent, Kyle, Gina, Samantha, Ernie, Alvin, LaMia, Abbi, Blythe, Kinlee, Carlos, Devan, Chayden, Easton, and Harper; and 5 great-grandchildren, Chris, Elizabeth, Amaya, Ziler, and Jasmine.

Sugs was preceded in death by his parents, his son Randy LaFontaine, his brother Myron LaFontaine, and his brother-in-law Philip Belgarde.