Raymond H. Simard

1929 - 2020

Raymond H. Simard obituary, 1929-2020, Bristol, CT

BORN

1929

DIED

2020

FUNERAL HOME

Funk Funeral Home - Bristol

35 Bellevue Avenue

Bristol, Connecticut

Raymond Simard Obituary

Raymond H. Simard passed peacefully from this Earth on Dec. 1, 2020, at the age of 91. He was the devoted husband of the late Yvette (Couture) Simard for over 62 years. Ray was born in Bristol to Emile and Marie Anne (Laflamme) Simard on Feb. 11, 1929. After the death of his mother when he was just seven months old, Ray and his three older sisters were moved to the small town of St. Raphael, QC to be raised and lovingly cared for by their Aunt Celestine and Uncle Francois Simard on the family farm. They returned to Bristol several years later to be with their father, and attended St. Ann School, where Raymond quickly learned English and advanced rapidly through the grades. After high school at Goodwin Technical, he served in the US Navy during the years of the Korean Conflict, where he completed his electrical training. Ray was a skilled electrician and retired from his position at UConn Medical Center in Farmington after 20 years of service. He was a devout parishioner at St. Ann Church for his entire life. He is survived by his five children and their spouses; Brian and Marie (Woods) of Burlington, Diane and Philip Wojtusik of Bristol, David and Julie (Hoke) of Farmington, Debra and Richard Caruso of Harwinton, and Gary and Janique (Demers) of Southington. He is also survived by eleven amazing grandchildren, Amanda, Molly, Sarah, Emma, Abigail, Steven, Laura, Thomas, Jaime, Nathan, and John; many nieces and nephews, and his two sisters, Beatrice Roy of Bristol, and Annette Goulet and husband Lionel of Quebec City, QC. He was pre-deceased by his sister Alice Guimond, and grandson Wyatt Simard. Ray was a tireless maker and fixer of all things electro-mechanical and always felt that he could make any machine better (although possibly less safe), than it originally was. His unspoken motto was "if it ain't broke, it definitely needs fixing". He often called himself a "jack of all trades, master of none," and practiced everything from carpentry, to masonry, plumbing, and auto mechanics. His children and grandchildren often exhibit the same innate abilities, or what we wryly refer to as "The Ray gene". It was his mission to pass on his knowledge along with an extensive repertoire of colorful and bilingual profanities. He gave generously of his time and skills, and felt most gratified when able to help neighbors and friends, old and new, and especially family in times of need. His pride and joy was the home that he built on Sherbrooke Street with his father Emile in the late 1950's. He never stopped meticulously maintaining and improving the house and property, and was happiest when spending summers in his garden or cutting and splitting firewood throughout the colder months of the year. The Simard family would like to thank Tyson Belanger and his dedicated staff at Shady Oaks in Bristol for the extraordinary care they provided Ray for the last year of his life, keeping him and the other residents safe and comfortable during this most difficult of times. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Shady Oaks to help them weather this financial storm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated privately at St. Ann Church, 215 West St, Bristol. Entombment, with military honors, will be in the Holy Family Mausoleum, Bristol. There are no calling hours. Funk Funeral Home, 35 Bellevue Ave., Bristol is honored to serve the Simard family. Please visit Raymond's memorial website at www.FunkFuneralHome.com.

Published by The Bristol Press on Dec. 3, 2020.
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James Greenleaf

December 4, 2020

Our heartfelt sympathies in this, your time of grief.

Funk Funeral Home

December 6, 2020

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Mass of Christian Burial

St. Ann Church

215 West St, Bristol, CT

Funeral services provided by:

Funk Funeral Home - Bristol

35 Bellevue Avenue, Bristol, CT 06010

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