Joseph C. Surette

Joseph Clinton Surette Sr., 93, of Methuen, left this world on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Andover Forest Acute Care Center in North Andover, surrounded by the love that defined his extraordinary life.
Everyone knew him as Joe "Clinton". Born on May 11, 1932, in Nova Scotia, Canada, to the late Jean L. and Francoise (Fitzgerald) Surette, Joe grew up with the Atlantic as his backyard. As a young man, he tended lighthouses along the rugged coast, guiding ships through fog and storm long before he ever dreamed of building homes on solid ground. When he crossed the border to the United States, he brought that same steady hand to Surette's Construction in Malden, MA, where for over thirty years he poured his heart into his work. He served his adopted country proudly in the U.S. Army, standing tall for the freedoms he cherished.
A faithful Knight of Columbus in Tewksbury, MA, and a proud member of the VFW in Palm Coast, FL, Joe lived his values out loud. Give him a rod and reel, a lobster trap, or the helm of a boat, and he was in his element. Camping under the stars, spinning country classics on an old radio, or picking out a melody on his guitar, banjo, accordion, or harmonica-music was his second language. He never missed a broadcast by his brother-in-law, Roland Bourque, on CIFA Radio back home, and a trip to the Lone Star Ranch in New Hampshire always felt like coming full circle. But nothing lit up his eyes like time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; their laughter was the sweetest song he ever heard. And Joe always the best-dressed man in the room, always the one who could turn any gathering into a party.
Joe leaves behind a legacy richer than any lighthouse beam: his devoted wife, Angele Marie (Fitzgerald) Surette, of Methuen; his four children, Alice Bourque and her husband, Sylvester "Happy," of Nova Scotia, Canada, Andrea Gautreau and her husband, Wayne, of Palm Coast, Florida, Lisa Courtenay and her husband, Michael, of Derry, NH, and Joseph Surette, Jr. and his wife, Angelina, of Manchester, NH; eleven grandchildren-Raymond, Douglas, Janelle, Nicholas, Madeline, Andrea, Michael, Ryan, Eric, John, and Tara; thirteen great-grandchildren who will grow up on stories of their "Papa Joe"; his sister, Loretta Saulnier and her husband, Norman, of Nova Scotia, Canada; and a wide circle of nieces, nephews, and friends who felt like family.
He was predeceased by his parents and seven siblings: Charles Fitzgerald, Donald Surette, Alvina Pothier, Henry Surette, Bertelle Surette, Herbert Surette, and Regina Leblanc.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate Joe's remarkable life at calling hours on Thursday, November 20, 2025, from 4–8 PM at the Methuen Family Funeral Home, 233 Lawrence Street, Methuen. Burial will be private, at the family's convenience. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to Veterans Northeast Outreach Center, 10 Reed Street, Haverhill, MA 01832.
To share a memory, offer condolences, or find directions, visit www.pollardfuneralhome.com. The Methuen Family Funeral Home is honored to serve the Surette family in this time of remembrance.