It is with heavy hearts and tremendous sorrow that we announce the passing of Richard Gene Couillard aka "Dick" aka "DC" of Batavia NY.
An avid huntsman, he was the scourge of woodchucks everywhere and never met a deer he didn’t want to eat. Ever adventurous, DC rafted the rivers of NY, snowmobiled the fields of the county, fished the lakes of Eastern Canada, and camped as much as possible. It was not unusual for the sound of James Brown’s “I Feel Good” to echo through a campground at 5am followed by DC’s laughter as he startled fellow campers awake.
Employed by the Batavia City School District for over 30 years, he said he would have been a comedian if he wasn’t a custodian. Pranks, jokes, stories, and laughter played into his motto, “The more I pick on you, the more I love you.” And he loved fiercely, with unparalleled loyalty.
Known for his green thumb, especially with roses, it was common to find him delivering blooms to the ladies of the library, his bank, the doctor’s offices, etc though he only had eyes for the love of his life, his wife of 63 years, Bernice (Sprague) Couillard.
When not in his garden chugging Cool Blue Gatorade, sipping Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi while eating a Nick Tahou’s cheeseburger, or taking a Sunday drive through Amish country, he could be found feeding animals of all kinds, feral cats above all, sitting quietly with them until he coaxed them to eat from his hands.
No matter what man or beast, he was a friend to all (except those pesky woodchucks). Always ready to help a friend, family, or neighbor, he had a hug, a smile, and a nickname for everyone.
Happy to voice his opinion loud and clear, DC lived life on his terms and often got his way, often through charm, occasionally through stubbornness, mostly with both in equal measure.
Survived by those he loved most in the world- his wife Bernice, 3 Daughters: Paula Logsdon (Fla), Debra Crossett (NY), and Lynne Couillard-Blance (NY), sons-in-law: Jeff Logsdon, Ryan Crossett, Mark Blance, 6 Grandchildren and their spouses: Gregory Appleton, Timothy Logsdon, Amanda Grigsby, Carrissa (Crossett) and Amanda Novitske, Nicole (Crossett) and Micah Brill, and Noah Couillard, 9 Great-Grandchildren: Serenity Logsdon, Harmony Grigsby, Phynn Appleton, Everly Appleton, Isaiah Novitske, Elias Novitske, Jordin Brill, Leo Brill, and Salem Couillard, 1 Great-Great-Grandchild: Malakai Logsdon, and DC’s Brother-from-another-mother: Russell Joy.
Per DC’s request, there will be no public service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in his name to his favorite charities, The Salvation Army of Batavia, 529 East Main Street, Batavia, New York 14020, The Alzheimer’s Association, Western New York Chapter, 6400 Sheridan Drive, #320, Buffalo, New York 14221 or Volunteers for Animals, P.O. Box 1621, Batavia, New York 14021. Arrangements have been entrusted to the H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home, 403 East Main Street, Batavia, New York 14020. To leave a condolence, share a story or light a a candle in his memory please visit www.bataviafuneralhomes.com.
Finally, we would like to leave you with his favorite bit of advice, always delivered with a right shoulder shrug and a tilt of his head, “It is what it is.”
