- Date Of Birth: September 13, 1932
- Date Of Death: June 28, 2009
- State: Massachusetts
William R. Ethier, 76, of Vero Beach, FL, and formerly of Upton, died Sunday, June 28, 2009 at his daughter’s home in Amherst, VA after a brief illness. He was the husband of Charlotte (Benoit) Ethier.
Mr. Ethier was born in Millville, MA, a son of the late Alphonse and Flora (Cabana) Ethier. He attended the former St. Mary’s High School in Milford and was a US Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, attaining the rank of sargeant. He lived in Upton for almost 40 years until retiring to Florida nine years ago.
A production manager at EPI in Westboro for 30 years, he previously worked for several area shoe companies, Whitin Machine Works, and part-time as a deli attendant at the former Iandoli’s supermarket in Milford. During retirement, he was a part-time seafood clerk at Winn Dixie in Vero Beach.
He was a life member and past commander of the Dudley-Gendron American Legion Post 414 of Sutton, life member and commandant of the Blackstone Valley Marine Corps League, and a former member of Elks lodges in Worcester and Vero Beach.
A communicant of Holy Angels Parish in Upton and St. John of the Cross Parish in Vero Beach, he sang with the Holy Angels Folk Group, was an usher in Florida, and was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Westboro, Milford, and Vero Beach.
In addition to his wife of 52 years, he leaves two sons, Joseph Ethier and his wife Susan of Mendon, and William M. Ethier and his wife Helen of Auburn; three daughters, Laura Petracca and her husband Timothy of Park City, UT, Suzanne Seitz and her husband Bruce of Charleston, SC, and Michelle Alger and her husband Michael of Amherst, VA; his siblings, Blanche Pelletier of Uxbridge, Yvonne Coyle of Saylerville, NJ, Rene Ethier of Smithfield, RI, Sylvia McCausland of Mapleville, RI and Vero Beach, and Ellen Bowen of Millville; 16 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.
