Alphonse W. "Al" Rainville, age 83, of Lowell, died on Sunday, July 27th, 2008, at Lowell General Hospital following an extended illness. For 60 years, he was the beloved husband of Irene C. (Lemire) Rainville.
He was born in Dracut on January 4th, 1925, son of the late Wilfred & Alma (Sicard) Rainville. Raised in Dracut, Al has lived in Lowell most of his life.
He was a very proud WWII Veteran serving in the US Navy from 1943 until his Honorable Discharge in 1946 as a Coxswain Vessel Specialist.
Prior to his retirement, he was employed by Synthetic Yarns Co., for over 20 years as a 1st Class Boiler Room Fireman.
Mr. Rainville was a communicant of the former St. Jean Baptiste Church, where he and his wife were married in 1948. In recent years, he was a communicant of St. Marguerite D'Youville Parish (Ste. Therese Church) in Dracut.
According to the family, he enjoyed amateur television repair as a hobby, and also enjoyed long rides with his family in the car.
Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Ronald Rainville of Santa Rosa, CA; five daughters and four sons-in-law, Doris Clark of Tyngsboro, Pauline & Alfred Montmarquet of Lowell, Claire Marvin and husband Robert, Sr. of Dracut, Diane & Robert Champlin of Barrington, NH, and Marie & Clifford Yapp of Safford, Arizona; a brother, Raymond Leclair of Pelham, NH; a sister, Theresa Savard of Lowell; several grandchildren, several great-grandchildren; also many nieces & nephews.
He was also the father of the late Denis Rainville.
His Visitation will take place on Wednesday at the M.R. LAURIN & SON FUNERAL HOME, 295 Pawtucket St., Lowell from 4:00-8:00 PM. Funeral Thursday morning with procession gathering at the funeral home at 8:00 AM, followed by his Funeral Mass at 9:00 AM at St. Marguerite D'Youville Parish (Ste. Therese Church) on Lakeview Ave. in Dracut. Interment to follow at St. Joseph Cemetery.