Online Obituaries

Richard P. Courchesne, 80, passed away peacefully at his residence in Cary, NC on Wednesday, December 20, 2023.  Born in Holyoke, MA on December 8, 1943, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, to Leopold and Claire (St. Laurent) Courchesne, he lived in Holyoke for 78 years.

Richard graduated from Precious Blood High School, Western New England College (BA), and Suffolk University (JD). He was a student of Immaculate Conception Catholic School, a lifetime member and supporter of Immaculate Conception Church of Holyoke and he ran the Immaculate Conception Parish Bingo for 29 years.

Richard served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve and was honorably discharged a Radarman Second Class in 1971, after which he returned to Holyoke and worked at the Brown Paper Company and later at Model Cities. Richard retired in 2014 as President of Olde Holyoke Development Corporation, a non-profit corporation that he founded in 1971.  During his 41-year career through Olde Holyoke and its affiliated entities, Richard rehabilitated many apartment buildings, managed 341 rental units, and constructed 158 new homes, providing home ownership and housing to hundreds of low-income families in the Holyoke neighborhood where he grew up.  Richard was also a lawyer for 50 years and maintained a small private practice, assisting family members with wills, estates, real estate, and other family law matters.  Richard developed a specialty in cooperative housing for mobile home parks. Pine Valley Plantation Cooperative Corporation of Belchertown was the first of many cooperatives across the state that he established so that mobile home owners could purchase their mobile home parks together.

In his early twenties, Richard was the lead singer in a small Rock & Roll band known as “The Tantalizing Enchanters”.  He continued to love music and sang 50’s Rock & Roll songs for the rest of his life and recorded many songs for his family. Richard was on the Board of Directors of many organizations throughout the City of Holyoke and was also a member of The Beavers Club of Holyoke. Richard is remembered for his lifelong dedication to his church, his family, the City of Holyoke, especially Ward 1, known as “The Flats”, and his steadfast dedication to the care of his wife Elaine, who he tended to throughout her long illness.

Richard was a loving husband to Elaine (Hanechak) Courchesne of Holyoke for 34 years, who passed away in 2003, and is predeceased by his sisters Doris, Connie and Irene Courchesne and his brother Robert Courchesne. He leaves behind his two sons and their families: Attorney Nyles L. Courchesne, his wife, Dora Courchesne, and their two children, Lt. Jacques R. Courchesne and Isabella D. Courchesne, and his son, Steven A. Courchesne, his wife, Denise Courchesne, and their two children, Andrew and Katelyn Courchesne.  He leaves behind his sister Pauline Courchesne and his brothers David, Daniel and Donald Courchesne. Richard leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members who will miss him dearly. He also leaves behind his wife, Bridget (Campbell) Courchesne (married in 2006), and his stepson, Brendan Campbell.

Calling hours are on Friday, December 29^th at the Cierpial Memorial Funeral Home, 69 East St. in Chicopee, from 4 to 7 pm. Richard’s funeral will be on Saturday, December 30th, 9 am at the funeral home, followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at the Immaculate Conception Church on 54 North Summer St. in Holyoke at 10 am.  Burial will follow in Precious Blood Cemetery, Willimansett St. in South Hadley.