Richard A. Michaud

WATERVILLE – On June 15, 2024, Richard A. Michaud lost his long battle with COPD, and its insidious side effects. Dickey, nicknamed by friends and family, was born in Waterville, on April 22, 1946, to Aurele J. Michaud, of Saint Agatha, and Yvette M. LaPierre of Waterville. He had three siblings, older brother Robert, younger sister Jean Ann and younger brother Dana.

Richard attended local schools in Waterville and graduated from Waterville High School in 1964. While in high school he belonged to the EMAC club. He later joined the National Guard for four years as a cook. While in high school he also met his wife to be Eva Couture. They were married on April 22, 1967, recently celebrating 57 years of marriage during which they raised their three sons, Paul, Danny and Shawn.

He worked at a few odd jobs before starting his lifelong career at Maine Central Railroad, where he worked as a carmen/welder until retiring in 2009. There he made many lifelong friends and acquired the nickname “shotgun.”

Dickey was also an avid fisherman and hunter, spending many days, with his father, oldest brother, grandfathers and a host of uncles and cousins, many friends and his sons. His deer antler collection hanging in his garage reveals one of nature’s wonderful oddities, a legal doe with spike horns, on a buck only tag.

Richard was an amazing gardener, who turned his clay-based backyard into a bountiful vegetable garden that supplied many a table with tomatoes, cukes, string beans, zucchini, and giant rhubarb, to name a few. He also did a lot of canning and freezing. When COPD began to wage its battle, Dickey could no longer expend the energy needed to garden and maintain his quality of life, and regrettably had to give it up.

He was also a dedicated “bird feeder” caretaker, keeping two feeders full of seed, two hummingbird feeders going, two suet feeders full and the occasional half oranges for the orioles. Dickey also fed an army of skunks, raccoons, red and gray foxes, chipmunks and red squirrels. Many times, he would toss out old hot dog rolls, stale bread, table scraps and the second McDonalds sausage McMuffin to the waiting crowd. Dickey also fed (unwillingly) many deer from his garden, so he put white chairs in it, to keep the deer out, claiming the deer were repelled by them(?).

Dickey over the years became a devoted Red Sox fan, often leaving where he was to get home to sit on the living room floor, and root for his team.

Richard was also an avid card player, mastering Cribbage, Bid Whist, and a few other “penny games” with both family and friends. Many a night he, Eva, mom and Dana would slug it out playing team bid whist, in a quest of a killer hand, to defeat the opponents. Other days, nights, birthdays and holidays, the cards came out, and it was time to play 10 pennies involving children and grandchildren. His “29” cribbage hand, dealt to him during a Cribbage tournament sits framed and fading away on the living room wall, as a testament to that rare vent. Richard was happiest sitting on the floor in front of his television playing solitaire, listening to the news, weather report, a baseball game, or helping his grandkids and great grandkids open and put presents together on holidays.

Richard was predeceased by his parents, his older brother, his grandparents and his many aunts and uncles and several dear friends he made along the way from work, hobbies, and the neighborhood.

Richard is survived by his wife Eva, their three sons and their families, Paul and his wife Mary, Danny and his wife Leah and their children Emma and Carter. Shawn, his partner Erica and his daughters Leah, Stephanie, and Sasha. Richard also leaves behind four great-grandchildren, Jaxson, Raelyn, Melanie and Josie.

Visiting hours will be held at Veilleux’s Funeral Home in Waterville on Wednesday, July 10, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. A small service for close family and friends will be held on Thursday, July 11 at 3 p.m., also at Veilleux Funeral Home followed by a Celebration of Life that all are invited to attend, from 4-7 p.m., at Silver Street Tavern.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Ronald McDonald Charities:

250 Brackett Street,

Portland, Maine 04102,

in his name.