Lionel A Larivee

LARIVEE, JR, Lionel A., of Centerville, MA, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2025, at the age of 77. Born in Taunton, MA, he was the eldest son of the late Lionel A. Larivee, Sr. and Albina (Floor) Larivee. Lionel was the beloved husband of Jean (Patterson) Larivee. Lionel is also survived by his former spouse, Janine (Arguin) Larivee of Taunton, MA, with whom he continued to share the love of their children and grandchildren. Loving father of Eric Larivee and his husband Collin McCullough of Hartford, CT; Scott Larivee and his wife Denise of Braintree, MA; Chad Larivee and his wife Jeanne of Franklin, MA; Tricia Jackson and her husband Mark of Berwyn, PA; niece Amanda Araujo and her husband Eldo of East Taunton, MA. Brother of Sandra Larivee, Janice (Larivee) Botelho, and Jeffrey Larivee of Taunton, MA. He is also survived by his wife's children: son, Kyle Nojaim and daughter, Trisha Timmons and her husband, Chris, and their daughter, Mackenna, all of Syracuse, NY. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren - Lindsey Larivee, Liam Larivee, Brendan Larivee; Grace Jackson, Hannah Jackson, Kevin Jackson, Sean Jackson; Jack Larivee, Lukas Larivee and Madison Larivee. And many nieces and nephews.

Lionel had a long and successful career in construction and roofing. He was a very skilled carpenter, electrician, plumber and mason, as well as a dedicated, respected, and successful businessman. (G Brouillette & Son and Beacon Sales.) His early construction career masterpiece was the original family homestead on Bradford Street in Taunton, where he singlehandedly converted a very large, early 1900‘s double decker into a beautiful single family home. Lionel’s artistry and craftsmanship were on display in every corner, wall, floor, staircase, ceiling and balustrade of the house. It was a true labor of love. He was a member of the United States National Guard and a member of the Taunton Lodge Of Elks.

A star athlete in his high school years, Lionel was a very busy, capable and inspiring football, baseball and softball coach. He coached many of his children’s teams and brought Coyle & Cassidy High School Girl’s Softball to several championships. He also coached for Mount Ida College and the Lafayette Club Bombers.

He was the President of Taunton Pop Warner Football League for many years. Also, he was an original board member and resident set builder of Heart to Heart Productions for the first several years of the company’s existence. In his younger years, Lionel enjoyed traveling and long weekend rides with his family, dancing, music, bartending, playing volleyball and socializing with a large extended family of friends. Upon accepting a position with Beacon Sales, Lionel was able to fulfill his long-held dream of moving to Cape Cod. He loved being a "beach guy," cruising around the Cape in his Jeep. 

In 2012, he met his future wife, Jean, on a walk at Sandy Neck Beach. For the next 3 years, he made bi-weekly drives to visit her in Syracuse. In 2015, she moved to the Cape, where they married and settled in Centerville. Again, Lionel's talents as a craftsman transformed their simple ranch home into a comfortable oasis. He built fences, stairways, retaining walls, decking, a firepit and a shed that could be mistaken for a lovely cottage. Lionel loved to plan surprise outings and was always ready for an adventure, whether it be hiking, kayaking, campfires at the beach or all-day boating trips to Sandy Neck. He enjoyed traveling to Key West and Siesta Key, FL, the Outer Banks in NC, many towns along the coast of Maine, as well as excursions to Cape destinations, including Crowe's Pasture, Woods Hole and Provincetown.

While his Parkinson's and NPH diagnoses slowed him down the past 3 years, Lionel continued to find joy with his fellow Parkinson's friends at his pedaling and boxing programs. Lionel loved his best dog, Hershey, Angel's Envy bourbon, acai bowls and listening to the blues. He was a gentle and generous man who always had a smile and a positive outlook. He was especially proud of his children and grandchildren, and will be greatly missed. Carpe diem!

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 1:30pm at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 3055 Main St. (Rte 6A) in Barnstable Village. Visitation with the family will take place in Walden Hall prior to the Mass, beginning at 12:30pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, St. Jude or the MSPCA in Centerville