CHICOPEE ~ Earl Morris Cote passed away peacefully at his home on August 30, surrounded by his family. He was 96 years old at the time of his passing and he lived a full and active life. Earl was born on February 2, 1925, in Holyoke, MA. He was the ninth of William and Alma Cote’s eighteen children. It was a crowded house! He left school after the seventh grade so that he could help support the family. When Earl was eighteen, he enlisted in the Marine Corps at the height of World War II and served two years in the Pacific Theater. He was honorably discharged in 1945 but re-enlisted shortly after. On June 17, 1947, Earl married his hometown sweetheart, Ramona Labonte. They lived in Washington, DC until his second honorable discharge in May of 1949. After his military career ended, Earl and Mona moved back to Holyoke to raise their family. They did not have eighteen children! They had four, all girls: Pamela (Penny), Earlene, Robin, and Fawn. Earl was a very hard worker. He did not believe in putting off until tomorrow something that you could do yesterday. If there was a job to do, he did it. He did it when it needed to get done and he did it well. He was a self-taught plumber, carpenter, and electrician. He did all these jobs because they needed doing and that is what people of his generation did. He dug ditches, tore buildings down, and was an excellent landscaper and masterful gardener. He took great pride in his lawn and plants and even installed a sprinkler system by hand in his 70’s. Earl did not like to sit still, ever. And he never did. Earl and Mona had been married for 57 years when Mona passed away in 2004. He had missed her every day since. Prior to Mona’s passing, and a few years after retiring from Sonoco Paper Products, they moved to Chicopee to live with their daughter Robin, son-in-law Mark, and their two children, Jill and Jeffrey. Robin was their primary caregiver during their twilight years and her dedication, care, and love for her parents cannot be understated. Her commitment to her parents is undoubtedly a result of Earl and Mona’s focus on taking care of family. Earl was predeceased by all his brothers and sisters (too many to mention) except for his younger brother, Harvey Cote of Chicopee, MA. Earl is survived by his four daughters and their spouses, Robin and Mark Rodowicz of Chicopee, MA, Penny and Howard Mooneyham of Sparta, TN, Earlene and Donald Oberlander of Chicopee, MA, and Fawn and Ken Goodrow of Plainfield, NH. In addition, he leaves eleven grandchildren: Cheryl Carlson, April Wagner, Howard Mooneyham, Lynette Travis, Julie Aitazzi, Sarah Cairns, Aimee Azam, Jill Rodowicz, Jeffrey Rodowicz, Samantha Ward, and Stephen Goodrow as well as 20 great grandchildren and many beloved pets. Earl lived a full and complete life, and the world is a better place for him having been in it. He will be missed by all who knew him. At Earl’s request there will be no calling hours or services. Donations in Earl’s memory may be made to Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst, MA www.fisherhome.org. The family would especially like to thank Eileen Hoarle-Reuter for her compassionate care of Earl and his family over the past several weeks. A Committal Service with United States Marine Corps Military Honors will be private at the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. His arrangements are under the care of the St. Pierre – Phaneuf Fairview Chapels, (413-533-3307), 506 Britton Street, Chicopee, MA 01020. For more details and to leave his family condolence messages, please visit: www.stpierrephaneuf.com
