Therese A. (Savaria) Brunelle

Therese A. (Terry) Brunelle passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 11, 2022 at the Saint Antoine Residence following a brief illness. Therese was born in Woonsocket on January 21, 1928 and lived in the city for her entire life until July of this year when she moved to the Villa at Saint Antoine.  She was the daughter of Raoul Savaria and Marie Louise (Giguere) Savaria.

            Therese and her husband, Joe (Butch) celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary on November 27 of this year. In addition to her beloved husband, she is survived by her daughter, Denise T. Forest and her husband, Joseph, of Auburn, New Hampshire; and by her son, Roger J. Brunelle and his wife, Aimee, of Paxton, Massachusetts. She is also survived by four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, and by her only remaining sibling, Raoul Savaria.

            Therese was an excellent seamstress and she worked at several local dress and coat factories.   She also loved to sew for her family and often made clothing for her children or herself.   One of her hobbies was needle point.   She began by following patterns made by others but as she became more and more proficient, she would create her own designs.  Among her favorites were replicas of houses she had lived in.

            Memere’s life revolved around her family.   She delighted in seeing each grandchild and great-grandchild as they grew up.  She always sent each of them a birthday card with a dollar bill tucked inside, a small gesture of love which they all appreciated.  In the last year of her life, she would spend hours looking at photos of them on her digital picture frame.

            Therese was a quiet and mild person, but she had a competitive streak that could be displayed when playing lawn croquet or computer games on her iPad.   She was even known to engage in some good-natured “trash talk” during some especially spirited contests.

            Therese lived a deeply spiritual life.   She was devoted to the Blessed Mother and prayed the rosary every day.  She also watched daily mass on her television.

            But the most important person in her life was her husband, Butch.  They spent all of their time together.   She took care of him and he took care of her. When they were younger, they drove back and forth across the United States and Canada three times.  They visited 49 of the 50 states, missing only Alaska. 

            The family would like to thank the staff at The Villa at Saint Antoine and Saint Antoine’s Residence for all of the care and kindness they showed for Therese.

            Visiting hours will be held Thursday, December 22, 2022 at Fournier & Fournier Funeral Home, 463 South Main Street, Woonsocket, from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  A funeral mass will be celebrated at Saint Joseph Church, 1200 Mendon Road Woonsocket, RI at 10 a.m.  Burial will be at Saint John the Baptist Cemetery immediately following the mass.

            In lieu of flowers, donations in Therese’s memory may be made to The Villa at Saint Antoine, 400 Mendon Road, North Smithfield, RI, 02986.

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