All Tributes

Arthur T. Cousineau, Jr. 1940-2020 Chicopee – Arthur T. Cousineau, Jr., 79, passed away Thursday April 30, 2020. Born in Holyoke to the late Arthur T. Sr. and Pauline (Molkeye) Cousineau, he was a longtime area resident. Arthur suffered from cerebral palsy over the years. He owned his own greeting card store in Chicopee for many years. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, William "Billy" Cousineau. He leaves a sister, Patricia "Patti" Munro. A...

  John P. Clare 1937 – 2020 Holyoke – John P. “Brud” Clare, 82, passed away from the effects of COVID-19. He was the son of the late John V. and Mary (O’Connor) Clare. After High School, John served his country honorably for three years in the U.S. Navy. Throughout his career, John was employed with the U.S. Postal Service, taking care of the service window at the South Hadley Post Office. He loved to watch sporting events of all kind, especially the NY...

Migdalia Ortiz 1960 – 2020 Holyoke – Migdalia Ortiz, 59, passed away peacefully on Tuesday April 21, 2020 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico to the late Basilio and Irma (Garcia) Oquendo, she was a longtime area resident. Migdalia graduated from Holyoke High School, Class of 79, and received her teaching degree from UMass Amherst. She dedicated her career to teaching children, most recently in the Chicopee Public Schools as an ESL teacher....

South Hadley - Robert P. Laverdiere, 90, passed away peacefully, on April 15, 2020, after a brief illness. He was born in Holyoke, on March 17, 1930, a son of the late Arthur and Laura (Phaneuf) Laverdiere.  Bob was a graduate of Rosary High School and Holyoke Jr. College.  He also attended Our Lady of LaSalette seminary in Enfield, NH. Bob was a veteran of the United States Air Force where he served proudly during the Korean War, earning the rank of Staff Sergeant, and serving as...

  Holyoke-Claire B. Benard, 83, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Born in Holyoke to the late Clarence Brouillette and Yvonne (Lafontaine) Brouillette, she graduated  Holyoke  High School in 1954. Claire was a bookkeeper for many years  and a former member of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. She enjoyed taking trips to Misquamicut and Foxwoods, cheering on the Red Sox and Patriots, and spending time with her family. She...

George V. Coppez of Holyoke died peacefully on April 8, 2020, at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home after complications from COVID-19. He was 98 years old. George was born in Malden, Massachusetts on November 16, 1921 to Camille & Maria (Pevenage) Coppez. He was a graduate of Malden High School. George was a WWII Army Air Corp. veteran. He was stationed in Hawaii and Westover AFB. George worked for Philip Hano and retired from Curtis Business Forms as a lithographer. He loved all the...

Calling hours will still be held Thurs. Mar. 19th from 4-7 PM at the Messier Funeral Home, 1944 Northampton St. in Holyoke. Guests are asked to remain in their vehicles upon arrival and a staff member will be in the parking lot to assist you so we may accommodate the current state mandated limitations on gatherings. Barbara's Funeral Mass on Friday March 20th will now be private for the immediate family. If you are unable to attend, you may send a card to the funeral home for the family....

Chicopee – Lucille Agnes (Rainville) Studzinski, 77, passed away Tuesday March 3rd, 2020 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Born in Holyoke to the late Andrew and Rose (Cadieux) Rainville, she attended Holyoke Schools. Lucille was employed at Pratt and Austin for many years and was a former member of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. She spent many years devoting her time and home to being a foster mother and was an avid shopper. She was predeceased by her husband, George...

Douglas Allen Morse passed away on Monday, February 24th 2020. Doug was born in Holyoke, MA in 1979, the firstborn child of Tracey and Kim Morse. A member of Holyoke High School class of 1997, he played safety and defensive end on the undefeated football team, capping off the season with a Super Bowl win. He struggled with drug addiction for years. In the process, he made countless friends among his fellows in recovery and supported others on their journeys. He was a friend to many and a...