Joseph "Ray" C. Grenier Obituary (1921

Joseph Charles Grenier, “Ray the Bulldog”, passed away unexpectedly on January 15, 2022 at his home in Winslow. He was born in Winslow on Nov 25, 1921 and was only 100 years old. He was the youngest of 13 siblings born to Joseph and Mathilda Grenier. As a young man he was an avid hockey player and often talked about shoveling off the snow to make a hockey rink with the local kids on the Kennebec River near Waterville’s south end. He also took up boxing and had great success at it which gave him the ring name “Ray the Bulldog”. He was a longtime fan of the Boston Bruins and New England Patriots, and enjoyed hunting and fishing. Ray started painting and working on battleships in Boston and was drafted in 1942, where he served in the US Navy as a Gunners Mate 3rd Class from 1942- 1945 in World War II. Most of his missions were on LCT (land craft tank) Ships. When he returned home he was known to work in local woolen mills, most notably the Wyandot Mill up until his retirement. In 1949, Ray married Blanche Courtemauche and they enjoyed many wonderful years together until she passed away in 1993. Ray was a man of good health and drove his Jeep, maintained his home, mowed his lawn and snowblowed his driveway right up to his passing. He had a quick wit and smart-aleck sense of humor. He was a member of St. John Catholic Church and was the oldest living member of the Winslow VFW # 8835. Ray will be greatly missed by his granddaughter Vicki Maloy and her husband Jim who watched over him. He is survived by his daughter, Lorraine Chamberlain and Patsy Viglione of Florida, his 13 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren, 34 great great grandchildren, 8 great great great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Ray was predeceased by his wife Blanche and daughters Rita McCausland and Joan Van Horn, and his grandson Mike Lambert, as well as his parents and siblings. A graveside service with Military honors will be held in the spring on April 15, 2022 at 2 PM at the Maine Veterans Cemetery in Augusta. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com