Reginald Joseph Drapeau Jr.

LEWISTON- Reginald J. Drapeau, Jr: Reggie, Reg, Butch, Dad, Daddy, Papa, Great Papa, guy who sold me a car. No matter the title, he will forever be known as a great man, leaving behind a legacy of integrity, wisdom, love, and humor. He was well-loved and will be forever missed.

He lived most of his long life in Lewiston, Maine. He graduated from Lewiston High School and attended University of Southern Maine. Very quickly thereafter, he established his first car business, Thrifty Car Mart, on a lot beside his childhood home on Main Street. He moved down the road a-piece when he established Thrifty Toyota, the first Toyota dealership in the state of Maine. His sister, Connie Michaud, recalls the men in the Drapeau family gathering in the evenings at the dealership. His children spent a fair amount of time there as well, washing cars and windows and doing inventory on the tiniest of car parts; they received a whole different kind of education from the characters who worked for Reggie. While he “retired” from Toyota at a reasonable age, he set-up shop, once again, as a used car dealer until just 5 years ago at the age of 85. He left very reluctantly. His family and friends are in agreement in describing him as the last of the gentlemen car dealers.

He, obviously, loved cars, especially the classics, and he loved to drive. His family often accompanied him on these tours of the back roads of Central Maine. It was not unusual to see him unexpectedly standing on your door step on a Sunday afternoon. A little-known fact is that he was also a driving teacher extraordinaire, teaching his too-young teenage daughters to drive at St. Peter’s cemetery.

He took great pride in all of his business ventures, including his homes, especially the home he had built on 416 Maple Hill Road. His last years were spent at The Marshwood Center where he enjoyed the banter with the primarily female staff, roaming the halls in his wheelchair. He was well-loved and cared for. Chuck made sure he maintained communication with his family and friends at his frequent visits. Despite his difficulty in verbalizing at times, he maintained his humor until the end.

Reggie was extremely generous in the love, kindness, and patience he showed his family. What a blended family it was! John Drapeau and Catherine Kyllonen are the first of his children. He later married Dorothee (Faucher) Michaud, enfolding her 3 daughters into his family: Kelly Leroux, Cathie (Katie) Paradis, and Crissy Leclair. He had a special bond with his son-in-law, Leo Leroux, who thought of him as Dad and treated him as such. They were both goofballs, trying to outdo one another in eliciting laughter. He loved all of his grandchildren, teasing them mercilessly: Nicholas Kyllonen and his wife, Maegan Gallipeau, and their daughter, Norah, of Turner, Maine; Whitney (Leroux) and her husband, Michael Poulin, of Gray, Maine; Abigail Shorette of Scarborough, Maine; Olivia Leroux and her fiancée, Chasen Nick, of Encinitas, California; Noah Paradis, of Portland, Maine; Isabelle Paradis of Cumberland, Maine; Kolbee, Brady, & Reggie Leclair of Hookset, New Hampshire; and Allison Paradis of Cumberland, Maine. His Michaud daughters feel so blessed for his continued presence in their lives, even as he remarried.

He was lucky enough to marry a third time to Jacqueline (Comeau) Bussiere, bringing her children and grandchildren into his life: Andre and partner, Kristin, and his children Morgan and Zachary of Minot, Maine; Rebecca and her husband, David Tower, and their son Ozzie of Chesapeake, Virginia; and Dalia and her husband James Robertson, and their sons Mason and Owen of Auburn, Maine. Dalia remained supportive of Reggie after her mom’s passing as he experienced some challenging health issues.

And that’s not all: his younger sister Connie and her husband, Dick Michaud, of Concord, New Hampshire visited as often as possible. He enjoyed relationships with their children and grandchildren: Anne (Michaud) and her husband Joe Kandra of Westford, Massachusetts, and their children Christopher and Katie; Peter Michaud and his partner Carolyn, of Hilo Hawaii, and his children, Hanna and Ryan.

Reggie was predeceased by his parents Reginald J Drapeau, Sr. and Marion (Howe) Drapeau, his wives, Dorothee Drapeau and Jacqueline Drapeau, his daughter, Crissy Leclair, and his infant grandson, Austin Paradis.

Reggie’s family would like to thank the staff of the Marshwood Center, his cousins and friends who maintained contact while he was there, and most especially, Chuck Peerboom, a longtime colleague and great friend who has established himself as an honorary member of the Drapeau family.

A Funeral Mass honoring Reginald's life will be celebrated on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Holy Family Church. Committal Services will then follow at St. Peter's Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 10, 2026 from 3-7 PM at The Fortin & Pinette Group, 217 Turner Street in Auburn, 783-8545. To share memories and condolences with The Drapeau Family, please visit www.fortinpinettegroupauburn.com .