Richard P. Ethier, 63, of Auburn, died August 13, 2010, following a two year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), at Community Hospice House in Merrimack, surrounded by his family.
He was born in Manchester, June 2, 1947, and was the son of (the late) Roland Ethier and Simone Beland.
He was a graduate of Manchester Memorial High School, class of 1965, and New Hampshire College, class of 1969. He was a member of the First Congregational Church in Manchester since 1981.
For over forty years Richard owned and operated A-1 Auto Body and A-1 Sports Center. He was a member of the Southern NH Snow Slickers club, a lifetime member of the Good Sam Club and a member of their local chapter, The Good Sam Blazers, the Lesquines and Synrel investment clubs, and was a faithful fan of the Boston Red Sox and the NE Patriots.
He enjoyed traveling (especially to Hawaii and Las Vegas), and loved cruising to many different ports. His last cruise was a two week land and cruise tour of Alaska. Richard was an avid cribbage player and enjoyed black jack. He was a collector of many things including German steins, Hummel figurines, and US postage plate blocks.
IN HIS LIFE: He was generous to a fault, with his time, talent, and resources, and possessed a strong work ethic. Richard will be remembered for his devotion to his family, especially to his wife Nancy, his children and to his grandchildren that were the light of his life, as well as his dogs Lynx, Toby, and Eli.
Family members include his wife of 36 years, Nancy (Durkee) Ethier, of Auburn, his children, Jennifer Longval and her husband Joseph, of Manchester, Scott Ethier, and his wife Jeannette, of FL; his mother, of Manchester; his step mother, Lillian (Roy) Ethier, of Manchester; 3 grandchildren, Amelia, Tyler, Jade; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
The funeral service took place at the First Congregational Church, 508 Union St., Manchester, on Tuesday, August 17, 2010.
The committal service followed at Mt. Calvary Mausoleum, 474 Goffstown Rd. Manchester.
Memorial donations can be made to the Community Hospice House, 210 Naticook Rd. Merrimack NH 03045, or ALS Association, Northern New England Chapter, The Concord Center, 10 Ferry St., Suite 438, Concord NH 03301.