On April 28, Ronald Paul Lavallee, 79, faithful husband, loving father, craftsman extraordinaire, surrounded by his family, entered into his heavenly reward. He leaves behind his life’s companion of nearly fifty years, his wife Lucille (Larivee), and five of their six children, Paul (Holly), of Woonsocket, Christine Villecco (Joseph) of Woonsocket, Michael (Kimberly) of Rochester Hillls, MI, Marc, and Catherine (fiancee, Jeff Tortora) of Uncasville, CT. He leaves behind six grandchildren, Nicholas, Sarah, Samuel of Rochester Hills, MI, and Maria, Sophia, and Isaiah Villecco of Woonsocket. In 2002, Ronald witnessed the untimely, premature departure from this world of his daughter Suzanne, perhaps the most difficult event in his 79 years. Hailing from Central Falls, he was one of ten children of Eli and Aurore (Roberts). He is survived by Robert of Lutherville, MD, Russell (Carolyn) of LaGrangeville, NY, Richard (Monique) of Bradenton, FL, Rochelle Marcotte of Norton, MA, Reginald of Smithfield, and Roger of Cumberland. He is predeceased by sisters Claire Thibedeau, Jeanette, Lucille LaChance, brothers Roland, Raymond, sister-in-law Beverly (Robert), and brother-in-law Rosaire Marcotte (Rochelle). It would require volumes to list the nephews, nieces, cousins, in-laws who benefitted from the acquaintance of this generous man.
Ronald’s earliest educational exploits included time with the Sisters of St. Anne at Saint Matthew’s, and carpentry training at the since defunct Garfield St. trade school, though he might admit to you the choicest lessons were impressed upon him at the dump at the edge of the city.
Duty bound Ronald to serve his country in the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Benning, GA where he listed scores of jumps, earned his pilot’s license, and fulfilled other servicemen’s weekend KP duties, pocketing the extra cash with perhaps some divinely inspired predilection of future financial commitments. Following honorable discharge in 1964, Ronald returned to Central Falls, where he worked at the family bakery started by his uncles, Evergood Bakery, then soon started at the Corning Glass Works which accounted for the bulk of his livelihood for almost thirty years. He tried his hand at the excavation business, purchased his own tenement house on Knight St., some land in N. Attleboro MA, and went to one altering church card party in 1971 where he’d meet his match for the rest of his life. Ten years his junior, and despite urgent pleas to try for an older sister, Ronald played his hand and won the heart of that diminutive but vibrant Pawtucket Credit Union bank teller. Their merger in 1973 would rewrite the playbook on love, commitment, adversity, and faithful perseverance. Lucille Larivee married Ronald at St. Matthews Church on May 5, 1973. They hopped into his convertible, navigated the Smokies, passed through Amish country Pennsylvania before settling into that tenement in Central Falls and had half a dozen munchkins. In 1988, Ron and Lulu would relocate the clan to the burbs of Lincoln. There in Lincoln, Ronald would retire from the factory now operated by Sylvania/GTE and turn to perfecting landscaping, and carpentry skills, embellishing that nest that would house, entertain, and often amuse mulch loads of family, friends, and neighbors alike. A lifelong parishioner of St. Matthew’s, Ronald, in his quiet way, impressed upon his family the importance of an active faith life. He leant his machinist skills (and machinery) to rebuild dams at Camp Ker Anna in Cumberland where Lucille cooked for the masses and his family spent many happy years. With dual allegiance to Central Falls and Lincoln, he painstakingly maintained his property to enhance his community, often in spite of debilitating effects long days and nights in the mill took on his strong frame. Ronald was best at winning, terrible at losing, but rarely backed from the challenge of a game.
We are left the cards, to continue to play our hands, and to not back down, either.
We’ll miss you, Dad.

Relatives and Friends are invited to attend visitation Saturday, April 30th from 8am- 9am in the Keefe Funeral Home, Five Higginson Ave. Lincoln with a Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Spirit Parish, Central Falls at 9:30am. Burial will follow in Mt. Calvary, Cumberland.