Joseph T. Racicot

Joseph T. Racicot, 89 of Tolland, Connecticut passed away peacefully with his children and grandchildren by his side on June 12, 2022, the 13th anniversary of his sister Viola's passing. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 54 years, Barbara D. Racicot. Joe was the son of the late George Racicot and Eva Rondeau Racicot of Agawam, MA. He was born in Thompsonville, CT and raised in Agawam, MA. He graduated from Agawam High School. Joe served in the Air Force during the Korean War. After honorable discharge, he attended the New England College of Pharmacy at Northeastern University and was a proud brother of the Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. Joseph is survived by his son David, daughter Wendy Racicot Brennan and her husband Jay, daughter Suzanne, and son Douglas and his wife Carrie. Joe is the proud Papa of seven grandchildren. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by sister Viola Racicot and husband John D'Amato, sister Theresa and husband Ralph Oliver, brother George and wife Mary Racicot, sister Margaret Copson, nephew John Dennehy and niece Cynthia Copson. Joe is also survived by many nieces, nephews and wonderful lifelong friends. Joe enjoyed raising his family and watching his children compete in athletics. He also enjoyed the time he spent in Ogunquit, Maine and Cape Cod, along with traveling around the world with his close friends. Joe loved being a pharmacist. Joe was employed by the University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus, as the pharmacist in the Infirmary. He often would joke about being the only legal drug pusher on campus. After retiring from UConn, he worked at the Veterans Administration in West Haven. His most meaningful assignment was as a traveling pharmacist at a Native American Reservation in New Mexico. "Super Joe" spent 30 years serving the Town of Tolland as an EMT, President of the Tolland Volunteer Ambulance Association, and an EMT and longtime Board of Director of the Tolland Fire Department. When he retired from the Fire Department, Joe was nominated as a Distinguished Service Member, the highest honor for retired members. Joe was awarded Tolland Citizen of the Year by the Tolland Lions Club for 1988-1989 in recognition of the volunteer work supporting the Ambulance Association. Joe was a devoted communicant of St Matthew's Church, proudly serving as an usher for more than twenty years. He also served on the parish council. His faith was extremely important to him and gave him the strength to courageously battle Alzheimer's for over six years. We would like to thank the Helping Hands agency of Bolton, CT; particularly his full time live-in caregiver, Mabel. Without her care and bond with our dad, his ability to live and be cared for in our childhood home would not have been possible. Mabel, there are no words to express our gratitude to you and your family. We will miss spending time with our father. We will miss his ability to listen to us, his guidance, and advice about various life issues. As he would often say to us to when we faced disappointment, "This is just a pot hole in the avenue of life" and "A disappointment of today is a reward of tomorrow." Thank you for being a great dad. We will miss you and we will be ok. Give Mom our love! Relatives and friends may join his family on Friday, June 24, 2022 between 4:00PM and 7:00PM at the Tolland Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Merrow Road, Tolland, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 10:00AM at Saint Matthew's Church, 111 Tolland Green, Tolland, CT. Burial will follow at South Cemetery on Cider Mill Road in Tolland. Donations in his memory may be made to Alzheimer's Association of Western MA, 246 Cottage St., Springfield, MA; American Heart Association, 1111 Elm St., West Springfield, MA 01089 or to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312. For online condolences please visit: www.pietrasfuneralhome.com