Joseph Andre Beausoleil, 67, of Grafton passed away surrounded by his loved ones on February 20, 2023.
Born in Lowell to Gerard and Rita (LaFerriere) Beausoleil, Joseph was raised in a large family having ten siblings. From the age of 18, Joseph became a boxer and was then known as “Joe Houston”.
Joe continued his boxing career for 7 years until he took on the bigger responsibility of single-handedly raising his son, Tim. Joe began to work for the Lowell Transit Authority as a security guard and attendant until he retired in the late 90’s. From that point forward, he was known as “Grandpa Joe” as he helped raise his granddaughter, Talia. Though she was his only and favorite granddaughter, the family dogs fought constantly for Grandpa Joe’s attention too. One particular English Bulldog named Dodge was his best friend and never missed a single trip out of the house. When Talia got off of the bus from school, she knew she could expect Grandpa Joe to be there and Dodge to be right by his side high-fiving the kids coming off. When other children’s parents weren’t at the bus stop, Grandpa Joe and Dodge were there, even when Talia thought she was old enough to walk home alone.
Trash always had the potential to be treasure to Grandpa Joe. He would always bring home interesting finds to Talia like a painted rock he came across or unique coins and toys. If he didn’t find anything on his walks, he’d bring home $5 from a scratch ticket or snacks like honey buns. Grandpa Joe was known to have a bachelor’s diet as his family called it. He knew how to make boiled eggs and that’s about it. He was a simple man who loved his family and shared what he had even if it was just canned beef stew. Grandpa Joe loved his coffee as this was the only thing he ever drank, not even water.
Though he had a simple diet, he still had many hobbies. Joe collected cans and bottles so often that neighbors would drop them off at his house instead of a recycling center. He was also known to ride his bicycles so often that he’d go through them faster than most people go through a pair of shoes. He got around on bike so frequently that he got to know most of the community and will be missed by many more people than his family alone. Between the scratch tickets, solitaire, Yahtzee, watching wrestling, crossword puzzles, his creative love for art and drawing, and drinking incessant amounts of coffee, Joe was always a restless man that kept his time occupied. He also spent some of his time at what he called “the blue store” where he did odd jobs including accidentally trying to weed-whack some poison ivy which led to a quick trip to the emergency room.
Grandpa Joe leaves memories like these and many more for his family who will always treasure the unique man he was and all he brought to the table. He is preceded in passing by his parents, three of his siblings, and his best man, Dodge. He leaves behind his son, Tim; his grand-daughter, Talia; and his daughter at heart, Shelly; along with the rest of his seven siblings.
You are welcome to attend his memorial visitation on Saturday, March 11, 2023 from 10 am until 12 noon at the McDonough Funeral Home 14 Highland Street, Lowell, MA 978-458-6816. His funeral service will take place in the funeral home at 12 noon. To leave the family a message of condolence find us on facebook or visit www.McDonoughFuneralHome.com at any time.