Fait en fer
Richard H. Cote died on December 17, 2025, at his home in Auburn, NH surrounded by family.
Born in Beaumont, Quebec, on May 18, 1930, to Louis Emile Cote and Marie Reine Fortin, Richard was the fourth of thirteen children. After his formal education ended with the completion of the eighth grade, Richard became responsible for the family’s herd of dairy cows as his father delivered their milk and that of other nearby farms to buyers in Quebec City.
His responsibilities grew, along with the family’s dairy herd, when they moved to Lennoxville, Quebec in the 1944, and again when the family emigrated to Vergennes, Vermont in 1950.
In 1956 he married Fabienne Brochu, a native of Saint Philibert, Quebec. They met as pen pals when he responded to her ad in L’action Catholique. They fell in over a nine-month correspondence. The fifth time they saw each other in person was their wedding day. Over the next 65 years they build a wonderful life together and raised five children.
When Richard’s family sold their dairy farm in 1957, he went to work as a carpenter on the expansion of the Wrightsville Reservoir Dam in Montpelier, VT, and subsequently travelled to Massena then Niagara Falls, New York, where he found work on the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Niagara Falls Power Plant. When the Niagara Fall project was completed, Richard and Fabienne moved to Derry, New Hampshire, and Richard began working on bridges for the construction of I-495.
In 1962, Richard launched Hayline Trucking, delivering Canadian hay to farms throughout New England and subsequently became an independent, long-distance commercial truck driver.
Richard and his family attended Saint Thomas Acquinas Church, in Derry NH where he made many close friends. He especially enjoyed raffling off a truck-load of firewood for their annual Christmas Fair. He later cut wood to give to “the old people” while living in Auburn. Richard was always saying “thank you” for even the smallest gesture, like a cup of coffee or help with putting his coat on. Everyone who had occasion to interact with him found him endearing.
In 2004, Richard and Fabienne moved to from Londonderry to Auburn, NH. He spent time re-building stone walls the Cote homestead as well as other properties along Pingree Hill Road.
Richard was predeceased by his wife, Fabienne, his parents and eight of twelve siblings as well as his first-born child, Michel, who died at birth. He is survived by his five children: Anne (Kevin McManus) of Bow, Monica Côté (Fred Hogan) of Penacook, Irene (James Côté-Wurzler) of Shelburne, Vermont; Alan (Carrie Rouleau Côté) of Auburn, and Rick (Susan Tomlinson Côté) of Williston, Vermont, fourteen grandchildren: Alan McManus (Holly), Sean McManus (Allison), Audrey McManus Hubbell (Nick), Patrick McManus, Julia McGrath (Patrick), Eric Côté-Porter, James Wurzler, Michael Côté-Wurzler, Colin Côté Jennsen (Mary Beth), Patrick Côté-Wurzler (Laura), Matthew Côté-Wurzler, Anna Côté-Wurzler, Jacqueline Duane (Greg), and Nathan Côté (Amy), as well as twenty-one great-grandchildren (and two more en-route!)
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 am on Monday, December 22nd at Saint Peter Parish, 567 Manchester Road, Auburn NH. A public viewing will begin at the church at 10:30 am prior to the mass with burial following the service at Forest Hill Cemetery, East Derry, NH. The family would like to thank the staff of Amedisys Hospice and Cornerstone Caregiving for their loving care of Richard. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice.