Richard E. Briere

Richard Edward Briere died Saturday, April 30, 2022 at the age of 91. He had persevered through a prolonged period of increasing frailty but maintained a ready smile and friendly greeting for family, friends and caregivers at his home at Armbrook Village in Westfield, MA.
Richard was born December 31, 1930 in Easthampton, MA. He was the son of Alfred and Rose (LeDuc) Briere and joined a family that would grow to include 11 children.
Career
Richard was multi-talented and thrived in a variety of fields for nearly fifty years. He was a supervisor at Monsanto Chemical Co. for nearly 20 years, operated his own painting company in Northampton for over a decade and served as a safety engineer for Commercial Union and Aetna Insurance Companies. He retired from work in 1996.
Community
Leaving paid work, left more time for his community contributions, a lifelong passion. His volunteer work included over 25 years supporting the American Red Cross as a first aid and CPR instructor. His Catholic faith was a steady guide for him and he led bible study groups in various communities and served as a lector and Extraordinary Minister of Communion in church. One of his greatest community service joys was playing Santa Claus in various venues during the holiday season. His cheerful and gentle spirit shone through the false beard and red suit and more than one child was adamant that THIS was the real deal.
Family: His Lasting Legacy
While work and community service were important, family was his center and his lasting legacy. Richard married Anne M. Finn in October, 1950. Together they raised five children in their Northampton home. A sixth child, Mary, died at birth. Through adversity and prosperity they demonstrated over decades how a couple can continue to grow and change together and hold each other in an embrace of personal respect and genuine passion throughout a lifetime. Shortly after celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, Anne died at the age of 58.
Though saddened, Richard knew he still had more to contribute to a loving relationship and a loving family. He met Carole Peterson in his community and they fell in love and married. Carole, widowed with two surviving adult children, proved to be another wonderful partner for Richard. They shared their love of the outdoors at their lakeside home in Stoddard, NH and thoroughly enjoyed the visits of children and grandchildren to swim, paddle canoes, snowmobile or explore the local trails. The couple returned to the Westfield area and moved into Armbrook Village together in 2018. Carole died from a progressive illness in April of 2019.
Richard is survived by:
• his sister Lucy Henchey of Easthampton, his only remaining sibling;
• four of his children, Richard (Holyoke, MA), Gary and his wife Maureen (Sunderland, MA), Lynda (Naugatuck, CT) and Dana and his partner Julie Marcy (Burlington, CT);
• daughter-in-law Cheryl Briere, his son Alan's widow (Claremont, NH)
• two stepchildren, Cheryl Dowling (Granby, CT) and Steven Peterson and his wife Hillary (North Granby, CT)
• three grandchildren Molly Gowa and her husband Stephen (Sunderland MA), Adam Briere and his wife Laurey (Bethel, CT) and Joshua Briere (Granby, CT) and six (step) grandchildren; Meghan Dowling (Seattle, WA), Peter Dowling (Boston, MA), Tyler Dowling (Glastonbury, CT), George, Vivian and Maria Peterson (Granby, CT)
• three great grandchildren, Milo, Ellis and Emelia
• numerous nephews and nieces.
Services
Tuesday, May 3
9:00- 10:00am: Closed casket visitation: Hayes Huling & Carmon Funeral Home; 364 Salmon Brook St. Granby, CT.
11:00 am: Funeral Mass at Saint Mary's Church, 942 Hopmeadow St. Simsbury, CT.
Following funeral: Gravesite service, Granby Cemetery, 284 North Granby Rd. Granby, CT
Special thanks:
We offer our heartfelt appreciation to the remarkable team of caregivers at Armbrook Village in Westfield. During Richard's declining health, the team of nurses, aides, food service and administrative staff demonstrated their skill and passion for caring for elderly residents each and every day and making one elderly resident, Richard, feel like he was the only responsibility they had.
In lieu of flowers: please make a donation to a charitable organization making a positive difference in your community (local – global).