Lucien "Lou" Harold Pelletier

"Palmer - Lucien Harold Pelletier, 92, passed away April 18, 2015 at his home His children and his devoted wife surrounded him 24 hours a day assuring him his life had repeated great dividends and validated his true worth to his loving family. Born April 8, 1923 in Manchester, NH, he was the son of John and Maria (Lamy) Pelletier. Lou has lived most of his life in Three Rivers, Wilbraham, or Palmer. Lou proudly served his country in the US Navy during WWII. He achieved the rank of petty officer, 1st class, on the USS Nitro AE2 and served in the European and Pacific Theaters of operation along with taking part in the D- Day invasion. Upon his discharge on January 5th 1946 after three years aboard an ammunition ship he married his finance on January 12, 1946. Lucien was a builder both by trade and disposition. He reluctantly became a home builder when he had to return to their apartment one day in the early 1950's from building his family's own home on Springfield Street in Wilbraham only to tell his bride and young family they would NOT be moving soon. A passerby had made him an offer so generous to purchase the home still under construction that he braved disappointing his bride while tempering his regrets to her with tales of a future of building homes not only for his family, but many others, in Wilbraham, Palmer, and Ludlow as well. He also built commercially; a small fire station in Bondsville, Ma, and a large school addition to St Ann's Elementary School in Three Rivers, MA. where the Nuns would later teach four of his six children. Lou later expanded to real estate where he ultimately became the president of the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors. He later also partnered with Bob Graveline and formed the Minnechaug Insurance Agency in the 1970s on Boston Road in Wilbraham. The Pelletier couple also operated the Hebert Candy franchise on Boston Road in Wilbraham in a red building across from the Friendly Ice Cream headquarters. Lou was a communicant of St. Elizabeth Parish in Ludlow and the former St. Mary of the Assumption where he served on the Parish Council, the Finance Committee, and was Chairman of the Building and Maintenance Committee Well into his 90s he would never allow his bride to organize or remove the small personal desk he always maintained in the corner of his room. Upon his death while opening drawer after drawer of that tiny desk a life of great proportion and scope erupted. Every single birthday card to Him from as far back as 1973 from his children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren was sequestered into his private sanctuary; there to be cherished surely evidence amassed and preserved that his life had real meaning and success. His life WAS his family. His treasure was the success and happiness of his large and expanding family. It was his finest design, his best development, and his life's greatest accomplishment. No matter how frail or ill he was the sight of one or more of his small great grandchildren coming to visit them would illuminate a smile on his face so bright one need not question the true meaning of life or the manifestation of real joy on earth Lou will be dearly missed by his wife of 69 years, Katherine "Kitty" (Belisle), along with his children, Richard Pelletier and companion Tricia Fay of Palmer, Mary Wilson and her husband James of Sturbridge, Maurita Eaton and her husband Bill of West Haven, CT, Camie Lamica and her husband Robin of Wilbraham, Ann Allen and her husband David of Palmer, as well as 11 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren. Lou was predeceased by his son Paul who was killed in Viet Nam in 1968. It was for Lou and his wife Kitty the greatest heartbreak of a life with many challenges and many successes, but the ONE suffering they would never fully recover from. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Beers & Story Palmer Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will be Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Parish with burial to follow in St. Anne's Cemetery. Friends and family may gather at the funeral home at 9:00 a.m. or meet directly at the church. For details, please visit www.beersandstory.com. "