DONALD "DON" EDWARD DUPUIS

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” 

Donald “Don” Edward Dupuis, 87, of Granville, MA, passed away peacefully on February 8, 2023. Don is reunited with the love of his life and wife of 52 years, Suzanne Dupuis, who passed away in 2018. He has spent the last 5 years missing her dearly and talking about the day they would meet again in heaven.

Born in Chicopee, MA, on January 17, 1936, to parents Yvonne Provost and Edward Dupuis. Don and Sue wed on December 31, 1965. They purchased their first home in Feeding Hills, MA, where they raised their two children: Brian Dupuis and Michelle Dupuis, and 3 dogs. Don’s favorite dog, Candy, a rescued Old English Sheepdog, would accompany him each day for an ice cream treat on the way to pick up Michelle from school.

A true jack-of-all-trades, master of many, there was nothing that Don did not or could not do. He had various jobs throughout his life, including Artist, Property Manager, Hairdresser (which the women of his family especially appreciated), Entrepreneur, and Handyman, to name a few. Don was known to always have an exciting story to tell, and he often enthusiastically recounted his time running a hot dog cart in Southwick, MA.

Don, an artist by nature, found joy in leaving things more beautiful than he found them. He was an incredibly talented painter and was especially proud of his mural artwork at the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee, MA. Handmaking and gifting Christmas wreaths were one of his favorite pastimes and something he did each year. Combining his love of art with his other passion, garage sales, he would buy mundane items such as milk crates or wooden sleighs and transform them into beautiful nature landscape paintings. Using his shell and sea glass collection, he enjoyed making mirrors and lamps to showcase their beauty. Don looked forward to the Granville Harvest Fair each year, an opportunity to share his art with the community. His artistic talent also included a knack for fixing the seemingly unfixable. If he saw something broken, he would immediately get to fixing it - whether you asked him to or not.

Don sincerely appreciated nature and particularly loved being close to the water. He was happy whether it was by the ocean collecting shells, his time spent living in Florida, visiting Newport, RI, or boat rides on Lake Congamond with his son Brian. In 2002, Don moved to his forever home in Granville. He took great pleasure in maintaining the property. He spent hours each day “playing outside,” as his family called it, which included adorning windchimes to the porch, treating the swimming pool, trimming bushes, raking the driveway, making the duck pond habitable, and whatever other projects he could find to keep him busy and outdoors in the sun. Don was also an avid animal lover, surrounded by animals his entire life. In particular, he enjoyed helping his daughter, Michelle, with her horses. He loved his cat Chloe, who he adopted in 2018. She brought him immense happiness, companionship, and comfort in his final years.

His favorite and most fulfilling job came later in life - being a Grandpa. He loved spending time with his grandkids, including camping in RI, taking them to the local playgrounds, and going for joy rides in his golf cart. Every day for over 12 years, Don drove his grandchildren to and from school. However, a yellow school bus wasn’t really his style; instead, he opted for a Black Chrysler PT Cruiser emblazed with purple flame decals. He was fondly known throughout the school district for “rolling in style.” Many days, he ended up with a few extra passengers to drop off, which he gladly did without hesitation. Other ‘Grandpa’ duties included all-you-can-eat buffets, watching every Cowboy/Western movie the genre offers, and helping his grandchildren ace every school art assignment. Grandpa’s final and most treasured vehicle was his bright yellow convertible PT Cruiser. He loved going for rides with the top down and would triumphantly report to his family all the compliments he received on his flashy ride.

Don is survived by his son Brian Dupuis and wife Renee Dupuis of West Suffield, CT; his daughter Michelle Dupuis of Granville, MA; his grandson Zach Dupuis and wife Steffi Dupuis of Enfield, CT; and his granddaughter Bria Dupuis of Newport, RI.

Like his art, Don left this world more beautiful than he found it through the love and lessons he inspired in others. Don will be laid to eternal rest in a private burial at sea, the same location as his beloved wife. In place of donations or flowers, the family requests those who wish to honor Don to carry on his spirit by performing a random act of kindness.

End of life arrangements entrusted to Avalon Life Celebration Center & Cremation Services, LLC 691 College Hwy, Southwick, MA 01077 To express condolences to the family, to share photos, or memories please visit Don’s memorial page at www.avaloncelebrations.com

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