Final Salute

ATTLEBORO – J. Richard Lebel, 82, of Attleboro, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at the Life Care Center of Attleboro. He was the beloved husband of 64 years to the late Doris (Soucey) Lebel, who passed away on August 4, 2020. Born in Lowell, MA, on March 12, 1936, he was a loving son of the late Denis and Rita (Desrosiers) Lebel.
Richard was educated in French parochial schools in Lowell, MA, and later in life earned his college degree from the Community College of Rhode Island in 1981. He served in the United States Navy from 1954 to 1962 as a hospital corpsman, stationed at USNH Chelsea, MA, USNAS Infirmary, Quonset Point, RI, US Naval Shipyard, Charlestown, MA, and aboard the USS Monrovia APA-31, based in Norfolk, VA. During his service, he participated in the 198 Marine landing in Beirut, Lebanon.
He joined the US Naval Reserves in 1983, retiring as a Chief Petty Officer aboard the USS Constitution in 1998. During this period, he served ten years with the Seabees of RNMCB12 in Davisville, RI, and later with Fleet Hospital 7 and the US Naval Medical Center detachment in Portsmouth, VA. He served two tours as Command Chief of that detachment and was also certified by the Navy as a French linguist.
Richard was the recipient of numerous commendations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal, Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal with two stars, National Defense Service Medal with a star device (Korea & Iraq), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon), Outstanding Volunteer Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with hourglass device, rifle marksman ribbon, and pistol sharpshooter ribbon. He had been a member of the American Legion, Post 0312, since 2008.
In his civilian career, Richard was a nationally registered and state-licensed radiographer for forty years. He served as Assistant Chief Radiographer, founder, and first director of the two-year School of Radiologic Technology at Saint Joseph Hospital in Lowell, in affiliation with Northeastern University. His career also included positions as a staff radiographer at Bedford VA Hospital, Chief Radiographer at Milton Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital, Roger Williams Hospital, and the Boston VA Outpatient Clinic before retiring in 1998.
Richard was an early volunteer with the Commonwealth Literacy Corps for six and a half years and was an active member of the American-French Genealogical Society, where he wrote and published articles on genealogy. A voracious reader, he was also an avid writer and poet, with many locally published works. He was a dedicated member of the Writers’ Workshop at the Larson Senior Center in Attleboro, MA, an activity he thoroughly enjoyed.
He is survived by his daughter, Sandra D. Lebel of North Hartland, VT; his sons, Mark Lebel of Pawtucket, RI, Brian Lebel and his wife, Mary Jo, of Walpole, MA, and Chris Lebel and his husband, John F. Cote, of Norton, MA. He also leaves his cherished grandchildren: Nathan M. Lebel and his wife, Shahanna, of Colebrook, NH; Amanda Nye and her husband, Sean, of Guilford, NH; Kirsten Lebel of Pawtucket, RI; Taylor Lebel of Pawtucket, RI; and his great-grandchildren: Kyle, Laci, Ryli, and Savannah Lebel; Shyanna, Shaylyn, and Saygan Fuller; Saphyrra Hall; and Kaylee and Ethan Nye. He was the dear brother of Ronald E. Lebel and his wife, Linda, of Nashua, NH; Irene E. Wagner and her husband, Roland, of Westford, MA; and Pauline J. Lebel of Nashua, NH. He also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Denise D. Sheahan.
Visitation, to which relatives and friends are kindly invited, will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2024, from 9:00 to 10:00 AM at the Sperry & McHoul Funeral Home, 15 Grove Street, North Attleboro, MA. A funeral service will follow at the funeral home, beginning promptly at 10:00 AM. Interment with United States Naval honors will take place at Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Towne Street, Attleboro Falls.
Since childhood, Richard had a deep, abiding love for ships and the sea. The final stanza of one of his poems, “A Sailor’s Prayer,” reads:
“Upon the bosom of the sea,
Is where I long to be;
From there I’ve glimpsed eternity,
And angels’ arms to cradle me.”