Raymond Joseph Paquette
June 23, 1929 - April 3, 2018
Obituary
Raymond (Ray) Joseph Paquette passed away on April 3, 2018 at the age of 88 with his sons Russell and Randall Paquette, and daughter-in-law Jill Scheuermann (Russell’s wife) by his side.
Ray was born on June 23, 1929 in Waterbury, Connecticut to Harvey and Rose (Gignac) Paquette. He served in the Airforce branch of the military during the Korean War from July 1, 1948 to June 30, 1952. After returning from service, he married Helen Zhitomi in 1954.
Ray graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1957 from the University of Houston. Being the consummate learner, he continued with graduate courses at Quinnipiac University and the University of Connecticut Law School. He was passionate about construction and after three years of working at Sibbald Construction Company, he started his own company, Paquette Construction Company. His company built the world’s first two-sided building called ‘The Boat Building’ for Phoenix Life Insurance Company in Hartford, CT and went on to build several notable projects including the 32 story ‘Gold Building’ in Hartford, CT, Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Plant in Middletown, CT, Catherine Brush Library at The Loomis Institute in Windsor, CT, St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Hartford, CT, St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, CT and the Knights of Columbus building in New Haven, CT to name a few.
Ray became a vegetarian for ethical reasons in 1997 and later moved out to Seattle, WA in 2004. He was a former pilot who loved animals, jigsaw and crossword puzzles, biking, hiking, reading, taking long walks and basically anything that dealt with being in the woods. He especially enjoyed campfires, reading books and spunky and enlightening conversations. But his most favorite place was Squirrel Island on Moosehead Lake in ME where the family spent the entire summer for many years.
Ray is survived by his ex-wife Helen (Zhitomi) Paquette and their six sons Raymond Jr, Robert, Richard, Randall, Ross, and Russell, as well as his dear friend Zora Montgomery. Ray is preceded in death by his parents, Harvey and Rose Paquette; his sister, Jacqueline (Paquette) Bridgeman; and his brother, Gerald Paquette.
Ray will have a showing on Thursday at Bonney-Watson SeaTac. Ray will be buried at a private ceremony at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington. A memorial celebration will happen at Wesley Homes in the weeks ahead. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Ray Paquette’s life. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Wesley Homes Foundation, Wesley Homes, Des Moines, WA.
So sorry for your loss. Ray loved life and was so charming! He always had a story. Take care and I pray for peace as you work through this time.