H. Raymond Champagne 93, of Greene St. died September 2, 2014 at the Woonsocket Health and Rehabilitation Center, surrounded by his loving family. He was the husband of Violet (Dubois) Champagne with whom he has been married for sixty nine years. Born in Woonsocket, he was a son of the late Hormidas and Alphonsine (Masse) Champagne. Ray was a sales engineer for International Supply Co. for thirty eight years, before retiring in 1983.
He was a WWII US Marine Veteran and participated in the Guadalcanal Campaign, Guam and Bougainville Campaign in the South Pacific. He received the Asiatic Ribbon with 3 Gold Stars, Good Conduct Ribbon, Victory Ribbon, and President Citation. Ray was a member of the VFW Post #6342 in Forestdale, St. Joseph Veteran Association, the Third Marine Division, St. Louis Sr. Citizens and the AARP, and was an avid golfer. Ray played baseball for the Third Marine Division . He was a well known local semi-pro baseball player and attended spring training with the Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals minor league teams.
Besides his wife he leaves two sons, Robert Champagne and his wife Lorraine of Cocoa, FL, and Dr. Gerald Champagne and his wife Marklyn of East Greenwich; two daughters, Denise Ducharme and her husband Norman of Indiana, and Janice Pelletier and her husband Gary of Warwick; two sisters, Theresa Hanks and Dorothy Champagne both of Rockland, MA; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was also the brother of the late Rene, Wilfred, Leopold, Aldor, and Roland Champagne, Bernadette Poirier, and Jeannette Harnois.
His funeral with visitation will be held Saturday at 9:30 from the Fournier & Fournier Funeral Home, 99 Cumberland St. Woonsocket, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM, in Precious Blood Church, Carrington Ave. Woonsocket. Burial will follow in St. Jean Baptiste Cemetery in Bellingham. In lieu of flowers donations in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital PO Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908 or Home and Hospice Care of RI 1085 North Main St. Providence, RI 02904-9826 would be appreciated.