Estelle L. Richard

Estelle L. (Poulin) McCausland Richard, age 94, of Milford, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. She was predeceased by her first husband, Raymond H. McCausland Jr, with whom she shared 32 years of marriage until his passing in 1986, and her second husband, Joseph Hector Richard, who passed in 2000 after seven years of marriage.

Estelle is survived by her son, Douglas McCausland, and his wife, Maureen, of Millbury; her two daughters, Annette Clark of Milford and Pamela McCausland of Grafton; and her stepchildren, William Richard and his wife, Karen, of Paxton; Donald Richard of Rutland; Michael Richard and his wife Ellen of Millbury; Maureen Richard of Worcester; and Robin Richard of Worcester. She also leaves behind eleven beloved grandchildren; Christopher, Eric, Melissa, Sarah, Meaghan, Molly, Ryan, Brian, Christopher, Jessica, and Jillian; five cherished great-grandchildren; a daughter-in-law, Nicole Rankin; and numerous nieces and nephews. Estelle was predeceased by her son, Michael McCausland, and her grandson, Matthew Alger.

Born in Portland, Maine, Estelle was the daughter of the late Valmore and Hermance (Audet) Poulin. She graduated from Cathedral High School in Portland and pursued higher education at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where she earned a degree in voice pedagogy. During her senior year, she was selected to participate in a goodwill tour to France with the Cecilia Society of Boston. This tour included performances at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Palace of Versailles, as well as stops in several French cities, including Dijon, Strasbourg, Reims, Lille, and Rouen.

Estelle lived in Milford, Medway, and then Franklin, dedicating much of her life to teaching music in the Hopedale and Milford school systems. She also worked in the accounting department of Zayre Corp. (now TJX) in Framingham. Later, Estelle moved to Shrewsbury with her husband Joseph and lived there for 27 years before recently returning to Milford.

Her funeral will be held on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at the Mercadante Funeral Home, 370 Plantation St., Worcester, with a Funeral Mass at 10 AM at St. Anne’s Church, 130 Boston Turnpike Rd. Burial will follow at Mount Vernon Grove Cemetery in Milford, where she will be laid to rest alongside her first husband, Raymond.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the family on Monday, November 18, from 4 to 7 PM at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the New England Conservatory of Music in Estelle’s memory.