Richard Roma Pouliot

Richard Roma Pouliot of Greenville, SC passed away peacefully at his home on September 21st, 2022. He was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts on November 23rd, 1944. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 57 years and four grown children. Richard also leaves behind five sisters. His only brother passed shortly afterward. He is preceded in death by his parents and one sister. He had specific wishes that there be no funeral services, and for his remains to be cremated. He wished to be remembered as full of life and happy to be surrounded by people. He didn't want there to be sadness that he was no longer here, but happiness and joy that he was able to meet you! To honor his wishes and as instructed, a celebration of life will take place on Saturday, June 24th 2023, in Greenville, SC. This simple event is open to all who knew Richard and will take place at Club Bella and The Terrace, located at 209 Sienna Drive, Greenville, SC 29609 inside the Montebello neighborhood which Richard and his wife have called home for nearly 18 years. There will be music and photos, along with food and drinks. There will be a mic available for those who wish to speak. But most of all, there will be friends and laughter. Details on his Facebook page and here on Legacy.com.

Richard had but one hobby, and that's people. He was a stranger to no one, and as a social beast found himself to be the initiator and director of countless conversations. His favorites tended to center around giving advice to family, friends, or even co-workers. He always made time to keep in touch with out of town family no matter how many miles were between them. He was the kind of person who while walking around at an event or in a mall, he would stop and chat with any random stranger who happened to be wearing a sports team logo he was fond of. He simply had a genuine interest in people, and always cared enough to offer anyone words of encouragement or support. Richard likely developed these skills as a young man after losing his father at a young age. He idolized his amazing mother and did what he could to help her with raising the family. Having six sisters and one brother, he always spoke of having had a happy childhood, and most people will remember him as a great friend, co-worker, and mentor.

Richard enjoyed a long and successful retail career that spanned many decades. He started as a stock associate at the Clarks Department store in Holyoke, Massachusetts in the mid-1960's. Soon thereafter, marriage, and an opportunity to advance took him on an adventurous career. Shortly after the birth of his second child, the first stop was in Springfield, Ohio where he learned how to manage stores for Cook United, which owned the Clark's store where it all began. Richard would move to Ohio (5x's), Kentucky (2x's), Indiana, Florida, California, and ultimately South Carolina where he retired. Along the way, he progressed to various titles such as Store Manager, District Manager, Regional Manager, Buyer, Group President, and Senior VP of Operations. You may recall some of the names of the stores he proudly served and where he achieved so many awards. It's a long list including names like Clark's, Cook's, Uncle Bills, CSC, Ontario's, Rink's, Phar-Mor, Office Depot, Wal-Mart, and T.J. Maxx.

While the awards and recognitions along the way were wonderful markers of a great career, Richard was most proud of the people he met. There are names of managers, and senior level executives he came to know and admire that made working so many hours a worthwhile endeavor. But what made him tick were the hourly associates. He was always adamant that the success of these operations were not possible without them, and worked tirelessly to ensure they weren't overlooked or taken for granted. He had a passion for bringing people together around shared goals and priorities while being sensitive to all points of view that were present.

Despite the long hours of a career in retail, Richard also made time for his family. While he certainly enjoyed a round of golf, he wasn't the kind of guy who could be found on the green or playing poker on a weekend night. You could instead find him on the sidelines at a little league game or soccer field, helping to coach one of the many teams his children played on throughout the years. If he wasn't outside coaching, swimming in the pool with the kids, or camping during a Boy Scouts trip, you could find him going over homework and report cards at the dining room table. He was famous for these regular one-on-one meetings with each kid, helping to guide and understand what was going on with them at any point in time. While these meetings were likely not all that popular from a childs point of view, as adults, we understand how deeply our father cared for us and wished to prepare us for success. An outlook he shared from his professional life.

Richard also loved family vacations. Some were just for the immediate family to say Myrtle Beach, or visiting amusement parks. He also travelled to Ireland twice, where his ability to connect with people bought him the duty of guarding an entry point at the Gravity Bar in the Guinness St. James Gate headquarters brewery in Dublin. This duty came with the lucky benefit of unlimited pints of Guinness! He also looked forward to trips where he would visit extended family 'back home" in Massachusetts. Many times, he and his family would meet up with the extended family for a destination trip. There were many visits to Niagara Falls, Myrtle Beach and the Pennsylvania Amish country throughout the years. These trips provided time for him to enjoy his siblings and their growing families, while allowing his children to connect with their aunts, uncles, and cousins. These were important connections that couldn't otherwise be made while living so many states away from each other. They were memorable times filled with reminiscence, laughter, and usually a little bit of mischief. It's funny to note that Richards nieces and nephews almost universally remember how much their "Uncle Richie" took an interest in them as if he were one of his own. His natural ability to speak with people on a personal level as a friend and mentor really had no bounds. He was simply a natural at being everyone's favorite life-coach, whether you knew it or not! His favorite trips however were to see his granddaughter in Ohio. Sometimes, these visits would be a week-long or more "grandparents-visit" to care for her while her parents were out of town. He adored her, and was sure to visit several times each year.

In retirement, Richard was able to accomplish and do things he was unable to while raising a family and building a career. One of the first things he did was to join the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), at Furman University. Here, he was able to take courses that ran the gamut from politics to geology. The opportunity to take classes on an intellectual level offered him the chance to capture the life experience of going to college that wasn't possible when he was younger and raising a family. OLLI also introduced him to a world of physical fitness that he had little time for prior to joining. Richard forged many more friendships here, and the campus environment allowed him to connect with young college aged students, which exercised his natural abilities for mentoring. Of all the things he did during retirement, he is likely most fond of the time spent hiking in the Blue Ridge mountains near his home. Again, this provided opportunities to make friends, and for him to enjoy the outdoors like he once did as a boy growing up in Massachusetts. Richard decided that this was where he wished to remain forever, and instructed his family to spread his ashes here. On the sunny side of the mountain please!