1930
Louis
2009
Louis A Richard
June 28, 1930 — June 13, 2009
Louis A. Richard, 78, of 127 Gardner Road, Hubbardston, died Saturday, June 13, 2009 in St. Vincent's Hospital in Worcester. He had been in a rehabilitation facility after recently undergoing surgery for a brain tumor.
Born in Gardner on June 28, 1930, he was the son of the late Frank A. Richard and Maria (Bourgeois) Richard.
Louis was a self-employed farmer, first raising pigs on Parkers Pond when he was ten years of age. After moving to Hubbardston in 1948, he developed the Richard Farm and once had over 800 pigs. He was also employed by Kristoff Brothers for many years, collecting garbage in Gardner before bidding on and finally receiving the contract outright in 1960.
For the next 25 years, he faithfully served as the city's garbage collector never once missing a day during that span due to illness. Louis was honored in a Jim Murphy cartoon in The Gardner News in 1985, commemorating his 25 years of service to the city, the same year that the movement to merge the garbage and rubbish collection discontinued his contract. He sold his pig farm shortly thereafter.
Louis worked for the next several years for the Massachusetts Highway Department before retiring in 1992.
Louis received his elementary education from Our Lady of the Holy Rosary School in Gardner. He attended Gardner High School, Gardner.
Louis was a member of Holy Spirit Church, Gardner, where he was on the Parish Council, was a Collector, and assisted in the building of the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Louis was a Charter Member of the Hubbardston Lions Club and a founding member of the Coon Hill Wood Carving Club. He was on the Board of Directors for the Asnacomet Federal Credit Union in Hubbardston. He was on the Cash Committee of Hubbardston, helped build the bandstand at the Hubbardston Town Field, and was on the Town of Hubbardston Democratic Committee. Louis was a former Boy Scout Master for Troop 12 of Hubbardston. He was selected a Grand Gardnerite in 1987.
For the past ten years he ran the popular Uncle Louis' Barn Sale behind his home on Route 68 where he continued his penchant for meeting new people and entertaining with his anecdotal stories. All of the profits gained at the barn sale were donated to the HOPE House in Gardner.
He was also a talented and enthusiastic woodcarver and created dozens of carousel horses which are prized possessions of many people. During holiday seasons, he created Christmas carvings which he would give away to hundreds of others. Louis was an avid sports fan, a wonderful storyteller, and a true "people person". He and his wife Anne enjoyed traveling extensively throughout the United States.
He leaves in wife Anne M. (Henaghan) Richard of Hubbardston with whom he celebrated his 55th wedding anniversary on May 8.
Mr. Richard leaves two sons, Michael L. Richard and his wife Peggy of Gardner, and Robert J. Richard and his wife Patricia of West Brookfield; three daughters Kathy A. Molesky of Hubbardston, Rosemary LeBeau and her husband William of Auburn, and Jeanne M. Richard of Worcester; eight grandchildren Casey and Lindsey Richard of Gardner, Robert Balsewice of Nashua, N.H., Evan Molesky of Hubbardston, Chelsea Hueter of Reading, Sam LeBeau of Auburn, and Alexander and Katherine Richard of West Brookfield; one great-grandchild Calvin Hueter; four sisters, Aline Rotti of Sarasota, FL, Roseanne Fuller and her husband Warren of Templeton, Charlotte Rathburn and her husband Donald of Baldwinville and Diane Chioda of Gilbertville, MA; one sister-in-law, Sylvia Richard of Phoenix, AZ; one aunt, Juliette Bourgeois, of Capitola, CA; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Louis was predeceased by a brother George L. Richard who died on September 19, 1999 and by a son-in-law Stephen Molesky who died in 1994.
A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, June 18th with a Mass at 11:00 a.m. in Holy Spirit Church, 50 Lovewell Street, Gardner.
Calling hours will be Wednesday, June 17th from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Boucher Funeral Home, Inc., 110 Nichols Street, Gardner.
Memorial contributions may be made to the House of Peace and Education, Inc., 20 Barthel Avenue, Gardner, MA 01440 or to the Hubbardston Lions Club, P.O. Box 492, Hubbardston, MA 01452
Born in Gardner on June 28, 1930, he was the son of the late Frank A. Richard and Maria (Bourgeois) Richard.
Louis was a self-employed farmer, first raising pigs on Parkers Pond when he was ten years of age. After moving to Hubbardston in 1948, he developed the Richard Farm and once had over 800 pigs. He was also employed by Kristoff Brothers for many years, collecting garbage in Gardner before bidding on and finally receiving the contract outright in 1960.
For the next 25 years, he faithfully served as the city's garbage collector never once missing a day during that span due to illness. Louis was honored in a Jim Murphy cartoon in The Gardner News in 1985, commemorating his 25 years of service to the city, the same year that the movement to merge the garbage and rubbish collection discontinued his contract. He sold his pig farm shortly thereafter.
Louis worked for the next several years for the Massachusetts Highway Department before retiring in 1992.
Louis received his elementary education from Our Lady of the Holy Rosary School in Gardner. He attended Gardner High School, Gardner.
Louis was a member of Holy Spirit Church, Gardner, where he was on the Parish Council, was a Collector, and assisted in the building of the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Louis was a Charter Member of the Hubbardston Lions Club and a founding member of the Coon Hill Wood Carving Club. He was on the Board of Directors for the Asnacomet Federal Credit Union in Hubbardston. He was on the Cash Committee of Hubbardston, helped build the bandstand at the Hubbardston Town Field, and was on the Town of Hubbardston Democratic Committee. Louis was a former Boy Scout Master for Troop 12 of Hubbardston. He was selected a Grand Gardnerite in 1987.
For the past ten years he ran the popular Uncle Louis' Barn Sale behind his home on Route 68 where he continued his penchant for meeting new people and entertaining with his anecdotal stories. All of the profits gained at the barn sale were donated to the HOPE House in Gardner.
He was also a talented and enthusiastic woodcarver and created dozens of carousel horses which are prized possessions of many people. During holiday seasons, he created Christmas carvings which he would give away to hundreds of others. Louis was an avid sports fan, a wonderful storyteller, and a true "people person". He and his wife Anne enjoyed traveling extensively throughout the United States.
He leaves in wife Anne M. (Henaghan) Richard of Hubbardston with whom he celebrated his 55th wedding anniversary on May 8.
Mr. Richard leaves two sons, Michael L. Richard and his wife Peggy of Gardner, and Robert J. Richard and his wife Patricia of West Brookfield; three daughters Kathy A. Molesky of Hubbardston, Rosemary LeBeau and her husband William of Auburn, and Jeanne M. Richard of Worcester; eight grandchildren Casey and Lindsey Richard of Gardner, Robert Balsewice of Nashua, N.H., Evan Molesky of Hubbardston, Chelsea Hueter of Reading, Sam LeBeau of Auburn, and Alexander and Katherine Richard of West Brookfield; one great-grandchild Calvin Hueter; four sisters, Aline Rotti of Sarasota, FL, Roseanne Fuller and her husband Warren of Templeton, Charlotte Rathburn and her husband Donald of Baldwinville and Diane Chioda of Gilbertville, MA; one sister-in-law, Sylvia Richard of Phoenix, AZ; one aunt, Juliette Bourgeois, of Capitola, CA; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Louis was predeceased by a brother George L. Richard who died on September 19, 1999 and by a son-in-law Stephen Molesky who died in 1994.
A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, June 18th with a Mass at 11:00 a.m. in Holy Spirit Church, 50 Lovewell Street, Gardner.
Calling hours will be Wednesday, June 17th from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Boucher Funeral Home, Inc., 110 Nichols Street, Gardner.
Memorial contributions may be made to the House of Peace and Education, Inc., 20 Barthel Avenue, Gardner, MA 01440 or to the Hubbardston Lions Club, P.O. Box 492, Hubbardston, MA 01452
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Service Details
Thursday, June 18th, 2009 11:00am, Holy Spirit Church, 50 Lovewell St., Gardner
Interment Details
None
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