Richard Surprenant

Richard Surprenant passed away peacefully at the Concord, NH VNA Hospice after complications from a fall. He was 95. 

Richard “Dick” Surprenant was born in Leominster, MA. At the beginning of the depression. His parents divorced several years later – very unusual in the day. Dick spent the rest of his formative years living on a farm on Lake Owasco in Auburn, NY with his mother, her new husband and his sisters during the school year and spent summers with his father and cousins on Cape Cod. Dick respected both of his parents and was loyal to both throughout their lives with never a bad word to be said nor judgement to be made.

Those early years had a profound influence and shaped his life. Family was of utmost importance to Dick. Not just his nuclear family, but his sisters, his cousins, his wife Natalie’s family, her sisters and brothers and many friends. Each spring when our family’s lake house was opened there was a great picnic with the men putting in the dock and boats, mothers fixing food and drinks and children – many children, playing, swimming and “helping”. The lake house was there for all any time. The hottest day of mid-summer would find Dick at a travel agents office planning the winter ski trip to include Natalie and the children, his sister, brother-in-law and their son and any cousins or friends that would like to go. Along with skiing Dick was an avid sailor, [farmer] gardener and traveler. Dick and Natalie were married for 67 years until her passing two years ago.

Dicks professional life included working in the family business Surprenant MFG, then later the ITT Corporation before leaving to start “new tech” in the early 1960’s; a cable TV business. He started and owned CATV franchises from Maine to Arkansas. He sold that business in the early 70’s and went back to run the family business making wire and cable until they sold it in 1979. Dick and Natalie retired, travelled the world, had some gardens and grandchildren and sorted thousands and thousands of photo slides.

Dick is pre-deceased by his wife, Natalie and his daughter, Lynn. He leaves his son, Gary and his wife Valerie, their children Paulina and Kayden of New London, NH, his daughter Lynn’s children Christopher Simonson of Greenwich, CT and Tara Simonson of New York, NY. Also, his sister Sharon Brannigan of Fort Meyers, FL and brother Albert Surprenant of Osterville, MA.

In lieu of flowers please donate to: theaftd.org – the Association for Frontotemporal Dementia.