Everybody wants to live the “Good Life”. Some people travel far and wide to find it and never seen to quite reach it. For others the “Good Life” is right where they are at. So it was for Ray Brissette. The “Good Life” for Ray was here with his family and friends in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He need not go any further than his home, in his own town.
Raymond P. Brissette, 82, of Woonsocket died Tuesday March 14, 2023 at Landmark Medical Center. He was the loving husband of Margaret A. (Kilduff) Brissette. Ray and Margaret were married on November 22, 1988 and shared 34 years lovingly devoted to each other.
A mere 9 months before the attack on Pearl Harbor Ray Brissette came into the world on March 9, 1941 in Woonsocket. Ray was the son of the late Armand and Lillian (Pepin) Brissette. He remained a lifelong resident of the city.
Ray was employed by the Woonsocket Public School Department as a custodian for over 39 years before retiring to live as he put it “the good life”.
And the “Good Life” it was. Ray indeed had 82 years of good life.
For Ray the good life meant cheering on his favorite teams all year long. The Bruins in winter, the Patriots in the fall and the Red Sox as the “boys of summer” from spring training all the way until the end of the season. The good life was Ray being part of the Woonsocket community from faithfully listening to local talk radio, especially John Dionne’s take on the state of things, to commiserating with the fellas at McDonald’s at Park Square to “solve the world’s problems”, to chatting and laughing with everyone who came through the door of Roger’s barbershop on Grove Street, Ray was a part and parcel of the fabric of the community.
Ray was a longtime faithful member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs’ Parish where he was counted amount the earliest of parishioners. Ray and Margaret enjoyed traveling in their retirement years.
For Ray the best part of the good life was his role as “Pepere Ray” to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved them with all his heart.
In addition to his beloved Margaret, Ray is survived by his daughter and son Kathleen A. Delaney and her husband Jay of Walpole, MA and William J. Richardson and his wife Lynn of Smithfield. Ray is survived also by his 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. Ray was the brother of Jeanne Drainville of Providence and the late Armand Brissette. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews and their families.
Ray’s Mass Christian Burial will be Saturday March 18, 2023 at 10:00 am in Holy Trinity Parish (OLQM) Church, Park Ave. Woonsocket. Ray will be laid to rest at St. Jean Baptiste Cemetery in Bellingham. Visiting hours are Saturday morning from 8:30-9:30 am, prior to Mass, at Menard-Lacouture Funeral Home, 127 Carrington Ave. Woonsocket.
At the request of the family please omit flowers. In Ray’s memory donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Pl. Memphis TN 38105 or www.stjude.org.
www.menardfuneralhome.com