Joseph Oscar Beauparlant

Joseph Oscar Beauparlant

August 30, 1925 ~ June 10, 2022 

Joseph Oscar Beauparlant (age 96) passed away peacefully on 10 June 2022. His last days were spent with his family by his side.

Born in Jamaica, New York in 1925, he lived a long fulfilling life. He spent his early years living on a boat, the Mary D., as his father was a fisherman. After the boat was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938, they continued to live in and around the Warwick-Providence area. Interstestly, his wife of 63 years, Joan Beauparlant, was also living on her father’s fishing boat in Connecticut; that boat was also destroyed in the same hurricane.

He attended La Salle Academy, a bilingual Catholic boys school, graduating with a Diploma in Science, in 1942. He was then drafted into the US Army, attending bootcamp at Fort Benning, Georgia.

He served with the Third United States Army in France and Germany (also known as USARER). He was part of the troops commanded by General Patton to move from the South of France in their summer uniforms to support The Battle of the Bulge. They arrived to the snow-covered area via truck wearing their summer uniforms.

A story he loved to tell was how he and some buddies were hiding in a barn. They stole some of the farmer’s clothes so Joe could walk to town to buy wine given he was the only one who spoke French.

After Joe’s discharge from the Army, he attended college, graduating from Providence College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1951.

An avid mathematician, he made his living as a contract draftsman. His employers included Winchester, where he was able to buy a prized custom barrel and made his own gun. He also worked for Clevelight, now Pratt Whitney, making the jet blade for the J57 GE Airplane.

Because of his ability to build strong relationships with anyone, he was heavily recruited to join Metropolitan Life Insurance company, where, within the first 9-months, he was the top producing salesman in the office.  

Given their shared love of the water, they built a summer cabin together on Lake Ninevah, VT, in the early 60's.

Following his experience in Europe, he and his wife, Joan, took a calculated risk and accepted a 2-year ex-pat assignment in France; later they moved the family of 5 children to Germany. They traveled extensively all over Europe and parts of Africa and Asia. When they returned to the US, they lived in Dover, NH; Melbourne and Palm Bay, FL; and Asheville and Raleigh, NC.

Joe was a doting father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and stalwart friend. It was easy to talk to and make friends with Joe as he was well-read and could converse intelligently on mostly any subject. A skill he kept his 96-years. 

In his final months, his favorite activities were playing cribbage and sorting/cataloging his beloved coin collection.

Joe is survived by 5 children, Patricia LaLiberte in Nineveh, IN; Jacqueline Kleinschmidt (Kenneth) Peru, NY; James Beauparlant (Monica) in Henderson, NV;  Deborah Susan Beauparlant in Titusville, FL; and Danielle Moser (Mo) in Raleigh, NC; 10 loving grandchildren, Brian Kleinschmidt, Adele Green, Alycia Massingham, Angela Marinelli, David and Nicholas Beauparlant, Gabrielle Leach, Daniela Magers, and Madison and Morgan Moser; and 10 loving great-grandchildren, Callen and Orion Kleinschmidt, Liam and Owen Massingham, Cameron and Miles Marinelli, Bailey, Jared, and Elissa Leach, and Katherine Beauparlant.  Joe is also survived by his niece Marcelline Zambuco and nephews, Richard, Lucien, and Robert Gosselin. He and his wife defined family broadly; he maintained and left many friends throughout the US and Europe.

A memorial service is being held in his honor on Friday, 24 June, at 2 pm at WNC Veteran’s Cemetery Chapel at 962 Old US Hwy 70 Black Mountain, NC 28711, Military Rites will be rendered.

In lieu of flowers, donations are kindly requested to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in his name. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105 USA https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html

A Service of Bright Funeral Home and Cremation Center 919-556-5811

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