Raymond J. Dufour Jr.

Raymond J. "Ray" Dufour, Jr., 80, of Colchester, CT, passed Friday, August 8, 2025, at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT after a brief illness.
Ray was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, son of the late Raymond J. Dufour, Sr and Sophia A. (Hardy) Dufour. He was raised and educated in Shrewsbury; he later attended and graduated from Worcester Industrial Technical Institute specializing in Carpentry and Mechanical Drafting. He also held a certificate in Aeronautical Technology from East Coast Aeronautical Technical School.
Ray served his country proudly as a Sergeant with the Army National Guard for six years before he was honorably discharged in 1971.
Ray met and married the love of his life, Carol A. Cormier, in 1973. They later had moved to Colchester, CT when Ray was offered a position at Pratt & Whitney. Colchester was home where they raised their daughter, Lisa and spent many happy years together before Carol passed in 2018.
In his free time, Ray could be found outside and looking up into the sky, using his many radio-controlled planes. He also enjoyed carpentry making several pieces of beautiful furniture for the family home. In his younger years, Ray loved speed and cars, he spent many hours at several area speedways drag racing.
He leaves his loving daughter, Lisa M. DeFrancesco and her husband Mikel G. DeFrancesco of Franklin, MA; four adored grandchildren, Mason, Evan, Tanner and Gianna; as well as nieces, Samantha Barry, Jennafer Barstow. Besides his wife, Carol, and his parents, Ray was predeceased by a brother, Richard R. Dufour; a sister, Jeanne A. Staley; and a niece, An'gela Dufour.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Ray's memory may be made to( https://www.parkinson.org).
Relatives and friends are invited to visit Ray's family on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, from 6:30-8:00 PM at the Britton-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, 648 Main Street, Shrewsbury, MA. A graveside service celebrating Ray's life with military honors will be held on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Mountain View Cemetery, (Section FF), Boylston Street, Shrewsbury, MA.