Richard O. Duguay, Jr.

Richard O. Duguay, Jr., 68, of Dartmouth, MA, passed away suddenly on Saturday, August 26, 2023. He was the beloved husband of Linda S. (Donnelly) Duguay for 41 years.

Richard, “Rick” to his family, was the son of the late Richard “Dick” O. Duguay Sr. and Yvonne (Desjardin) Duguay. He was born in Attleboro, MA and lived in Providence for most of his childhood and early adult life. He was also the brother of the late James Duguay. 

In addition to his wife, Richard is survived by his adored daughter, Elisa M. Duguay and her fiancé Jed Kiley, his sisters, Lorraine Andreozzi and Denise Brierley and her husband Kevin, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Vanessa and Dante Del Giudice, several nieces, nephews and their children. He was the son-in-law of the late Livia and Edward Donnelly. Richard was fortunate to grow up with a large extended family including grandparents and many wonderful aunts, uncles and over 30 cousins. 

He attended Providence Schools and graduated from Rhode Island College (RIC) in 1976. A call from his future coach to recruit him for wrestling, his beloved high school sport, provided the extra motivation he needed to attend. He did well academically and excelled at wrestling, holding the RIC record for career pins for an entire decade. By the end of his college career, he was recognized in Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges & Universities and was selected as the male student athlete of his graduating class to receive the John E. Hetherman Award. Richard was inducted into the RIC Athletic Hall of Fame for his wrestling career in 1992. His wrestling teammates, coach Rusty, and Sigma Iota Alpha fraternity brothers became his lifelong friends. 

Following graduation, Richard was a health and science teacher in the Burrillville School System. He enjoyed teaching and loved working with kids. When changes were made to his position, he pivoted and followed in his father’s footsteps attending the American Institute of Baking, Science and Technology Program in Manhattan, KS. He began working in the baking industry in 1982 at Nickles Bakery in Navarre, OH and in 1988 at Sunbeam Bakery in New Bedford, MA, later advancing to the plant’s Production Manager until it’s closing. He then worked at Stop & Shop’s distribution center in Freetown, MA as a Transportation Supervisor until his retirement in September, 2020.

In previous years, Richard enjoyed having a boat, spending many hours on the water with family and friends, planting a vegetable garden and attending his daughter’s sporting events. He never missed a game his work schedule allowed and could still cite specific plays she made in games. Richard was an avid New England sports fan and seldom missed a Patriots or Red Sox game. 

He was outgoing, had a great sense of humor, loved to tease family and friends and always had a corny comeback. Therefore, he was the recipient of many corny birthday and father’s day cards. He was a devoted husband, father, and son who always took care of his family and could be counted on for advice and guidance in any situation. He made thoughtful gestures in his own quiet way. He never forgot a single wedding anniversary and made each one special. He would always plan fun father/daughter activities when his daughter was younger, including flying over the house in a small plane, much to his wife’s surprise. When he wanted to give his daughter the experience of having a dog, he found the perfect one. Since neither he nor his wife were keen on having a dog, he always said, “I got you the kind of dog you would have wanted if you wanted a dog.” Phoebe became a much loved family member for almost 17 years. As a manager, Richard was respectful and fair to others, worked very hard and was always willing to do anything he asked others to do. More recently he struggled with declining mobility after multiple neck surgeries over a period of years. Despite the significant challenges his spinal injury presented, he never lost his positive, “can do” attitude. He will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. 

Relatives and friends are invited to attend visitation on Thursday, September 7th, from 4-7pm. in the Maceroni Funeral Home, 1381 Smith St., North Providence, RI. In accordance with his wishes, Richard was cremated. In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard’s memory may be made to Spaulding Rehabilitation & Schoen Adams Research Institute atgiving.spauldingrehab.org. Checks can be mailed to Spaulding Rehabilitation, Development Office, 300 First Avenue, Charlestown, MA 02129.