Richard is survived by his wife Grace Applegate-Tissiere, daughter Linda Chiariello and husband Vincent, grand son, Richard and his wife Kristin and grand daughter, Rachelle, her husband Kris and their daughter Julianne.
Richard was predeceased by his first wife Gloria Lucciola, sister Helen Tissiere and brother Edward Tissiere.
During World War II Richard served aboard the air craft carrier the USS Boxer, his brother, Edward served aboard the battleship the USS New Jersey and his sister Helen served in the Navy Waves.
At the end of the war he became a member of Heavy & Highway Laborers Union Local 472 and 24 years later in 1976 he was elected President. Richard joined with his long time friend Jim Carroll and the newly elected Delegates to rebuild Local 472. They provided the strong leadership that was needed to negotiate good benefits for 472 members and also the assurance that contractors would provided them safe working conditions. Richard’s success was noted when in 1981 he was elected both President and Business Manager of the Union. Richard retired from the Union in 1996, but the members today continue to benefit from the membership programs he put in place.
Richard received the Governor’s Peter J. McGuire award for Labor Excellence and the prestigious Eagle Award.
He was a charter member of the NJ Alliance for Action and was appointed Commissioner on the NJ Turnpike Authority by Governor Thomas Kean. Working with Governor Kean he was also instrumental in the passage of the Transportation Trust Fund legislation.
Richard served as Vice Pres. Of the N.J. State Building Trades Council, and Vice President of the N. J. State AFL-CIO.
During the Presidency of George W. Bush, Richard was appointed by then Secretary of Labor, Elizabeth Dole to serve as a member of the U.S. Safety Council. Since 2012 he has served as a Trustee on the N.J. nonprofit corporation, A Safe New Jersey, Inc. which is dedicated to creating safe worksites. Therefore, in lieu of flowers the family is asking that checks to A Safe New Jersey, Inc. 34 Taylor Ave, Manasquan NJ, 08736.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit the McCracken Funeral Home, 1500 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083 on Sunday August 5, 2018 from 3-7pm. A funeral service will be held at the funeral home on Monday August 6, 2018 at 10am followed by entombment in the Graceland Memorial Park Cemetery, Kenilworth, NJ.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.McCrackenFuneralHome.com for the Tissiere family.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18