Pauline T. Pelletier Obituary (1922

Pauline Theresa Pelletier, longtime Attleboro resident passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at the Milford Care and Rehabilitation Center in Milford, MA after a lengthy illness. She was 89. The 16th of 17 children, she was born June 23, 1922 in Ste. Madeleine, Quebec to Pamela Beauregard and Joseph LaPierre and named Theresa Pauline. Her early childhood was spent in Ste. Madeleine. For a few years, she lived with her father and some siblings in Danielson, CT where she finished her formal education in the eighth grade. It was during the family's return to Canada for better work opportunities that their car overturned in Worcester, MA, instantly killing her 16 year old brother Roger. In 1944 at age 22, she joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and worked as a telephone operator until she contracted rheumatic fever and was honorably released in 1946. She then immigrated to Pawtucket, RI to join her sisters Fern and Margaret Mimi. There she met the love of her life, Armand, who worked distributing Royal Crown Soda and at St. Stephen's Church in Attleboro as a sexton. He nicknamed her "Pete." They were married on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1947 in St. Stephen's and settled on O'Donnell Drive where they would raise their five children in a home filled with love and laughter. Although of modest means, they enjoyed a life rich with extended families and friends in the U.S. and Canada, frequently traveling to Canada for memorable visits. Throughout her life, Pauline was an avid sports fan, religiously following the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots. Once during the 1967 season when the entire family was heading to Fenway Park, her husband jokingly tried to fit her ironing board into the car, convinced the Red Sox's winning streak was due to her ironing during their games. In 1960, she became a US citizen with the legal name of Pauline Theresa Pelletier. She waitressed part-time for 15 years for Morin's Catering in Attleboro in the '60's and 70's. After her husband Armand died unexpectedly in 1975, she worked fulltime at Leach & Garner in Attleboro as a jewelry worker to support herself and her two children, Stephen and Michelle, still at home. She also volunteered at Bishop Feehan High School, where four of her five children received their high school education. She doted on her grandchildren, knitting them countless sweaters and blankets. Retiring in 1982, Pauline joined four siblings in Melbourne, FL where she lived for 17 years. A devout Catholic, she was a tireless volunteer at her Melbourne church and at Daily Bread, Inc. where she served the hungry with a warm smile and healthy dose of optimism. After returning to Attleboro in 1999, she lived with her son Roger. She was an avid lifelong reader and patron of the Attleboro Public Library. In 2002, she moved to Christopher Heights of Attleboro where she lived happily for nearly a decade. It was there she watched her beloved Red Sox win two World Series and had her photo taken with their championship trophy. She is survived by her daughter, Ceanne P. Tzimopoulos and her husband Nicholas of Medford, MA; her son David A. Pelletier and his wife Bonnie Brault of Fairhaven, MA; her son Stephen R. Pelletier and his wife Katherine McKay of Milford, MA; 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; her sister Cecilia Boyer of Toronto, Ontario; her sister-in-law Helen LaPierre of Melbourne, FL; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Armand Wilfred Pelletier of Attleboro who died in 1975, her daughter, Michelle H. Pelletier of NYC who died in 1994, and her son, Roger R. Pelletier of Attleboro who died in 2001. Outliving 15 of her siblings, she is also predeceased by her brothers: Augustin, Conrad, and Amedee all of Montreal, Quebec; Louis and Stephen both of Ste. Madeline, Quebec; Roger of Danielson, CT; and John Paul of Kingston, Ontario; and her sisters: Marianne LaPierre who died in infancy; Jeanette Knight of Albany, NY; Irene Vielleux of Putnam, CT; Rita Gillemette of Old Saybrook, CT; Betty LaPierre of New Bedford, MA; and Margaret Vary, Fern Lussier, and Georgette Bergstrom all of Melbourne, FL. Funeral arrangements are in the care of the Duffy-Poule Funeral Home, 20 Peck Street, Attleboro where the Pelletier family will receive friends on Wednesday, February 22nd from 5 PM – 8 PM. A funeral will be conducted on Thursday, February 23rd at 9:30 AM from the Duffy-Poule Funeral Home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM in Holy Ghost Church, 71 Linden Street, Attleboro, celebrated by Rev. John Murray, Pastor. Burial will be private. In spite of her loss of many loved ones, she retained an upbeat spirit and focused on the many blessings in her life. Her happiness and contagiously positive personality will be missed by all who knew her. In lieu of flowers and for those wishing to remember Pauline in a special way, memorial contributions in her memory may be made to: Our Daily Bread, 815 East Fee Avenue, Melbourne, FL 32901.