Richard Eugene Laviolette

Richard Eugene Laviolette, age 77, of Trumbull, formerly of Southbury and Fairfield, passed away on the evening of Veteran’s Day, Thursday, November 11, 2021, surrounded by his loved ones and his favorite music playing.

Born to Lester E. and Ruth (Choun) Laviolette, Rick grew up on the East Side of Bridgeport. He attended and graduated from Notre Dame Catholic High School with the class of 1962. Just a few days after his graduation, Rick enlisted in the Navy where he served aboard the USS Wasp (CVS-18). Some of his favorite memories from his youth were while he was stationed at Base Naval de Rota in Cádiz, Spain.

Rick worked for the Fairfield branch of the United States Postal Service as a mail carrier for 28 years. For many of those years he served as president of the local postal union as well as assisting in organizing the mail carrier food drive every year with his fellow postmen.

He was a gentle soul, always laughing and there to lend a hand to anyone who needed it. His compassion extended beyond the people around him and he spent much of his time helping rescue local cats and getting them to no-kill shelters where they could get the opportunity of a loving home. A special few made their way into his heart and his home.

Like his brothers, Rick was without a doubt a music lover. He had a vast music collection and attended many (perhaps too many) concerts over the course of his life. He passed down his love for music and music taste to not only one generation, but two generations, as his daughter and granddaughters would sing along in the car with him to Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, and Van Morrison to name a few.

Rick enjoyed nothing more than a game of cards (and nothing less than losing a hand, or worse, losing a game). He and his brothers often played games like pinochle and cribbage together. As his daughter, Michelle, got older, she too began joining in on playing cards. It eventually became a family tradition as he taught his granddaughters how to play as well. No family get together was complete without playing a few rounds.

Rick is survived by his daughter, Michelle Laviolette, of Fairfield; his grandchildren, Leah Bamman (Tony) of New York, NY, Leah Michalewicz, of Milford, and Shannon Sadler of Milford; his brother, Mark Laviolette of Shelton; his “Best Friend Forever” Marilyn Fitol; as well as many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Ruth and Lester, Rick is predeceased by his brothers, Duane “Buck” Laviolette and Dreux Laviolette.

Friends and family are invited for visitation on Friday, November 19, 2021 from 5pm-8pm at the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 12pm at St. Pius X Church, 834 Brookside Drive, Fairfield. A private interment will take place at the State Veterans’ Cemetery in Middletown. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Rick’s memory to the West Haven VA Medical Center (https://www.va.gov/connecticut-health-care/) or to Compassion for Cats (8 Huntington St., Suite 182, Shelton, CT 06484).

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