Alfred Lester Cote

Alfred was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 54 years, Karen Frances (Carlson) Cote; son, Alfred C. Cote; daughter, Jennifer A. (Cote) Harney; brothers, David A. Cote, John (Jackie) E. Cote, and Paul J. Cote; and beloved brother-in-law, Hugh M. Hurd. Left to cherish his memory are son, David F. and wife Lisa M. (Paradise) Cote of Worcester, MA; daughter, Sharon K. (Cote) and husband Jeffrey C. Callahan of Virginia Beach, VA; son, Joseph E. Cote of Fitchburg, MA; daughter, Mary E. (Cote) Fink of Rosedale, MD; grandchildren Crystal M. (Paradise) and husband Johnathen Boisseau, Matthew A. Cote, Jeremy R. Callahan, Joshua J. Callahan, Stefeni S. Harney, Ethan J. Fink, Audrey K. Fink and Dax J. Cote; great-grandchildren Jazmine L. and Mildred A. Boisseau; dearest sister Janice M. (Cote) Hurd of Charlton, MA; brother Richard P. Cote of Boylston, MA; godchild/niece Carolyn M. (Hurd) Adams; and several nieces and nephews.

Alfred was born in Worcester, MA, August 6, 1942, son of the late Alfred J. and Evelyn Mildred (Dufresne) Cote and grew up in Shrewsbury, MA. He had various jobs throughout the years to provide for his family of eight. To name a few, he delivered milk for Hillcrest Dairy, had expansive car routes delivering newspapers for the Telegram & Gazette, and drove tractor-trailer trucks with occasional long-haul trips - some carrying loads of steel. He was a tinkerer and loved to "fix" things in a roundabout way, but he always could get things working again. He took that desire a bit further and attended Coyne Electrical School where he earned his license as a Master Electrician. With that tucked under his belt, he worked for many different manufacturers including Polyvinyl Films in Whitinsville and Reed & Prince in Worcester. He also formed Cote Electric Company to be sure he was able to make ends meet for his large family. He finally settled in at General Motors in Framingham. The plant closed in 1989 and he eventually relocated in 1994 to a GM plant in Baltimore. He worked for GM until his retirement in 2006.

He loved his family dearly and enjoyed large gatherings especially during the holidays with all the aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins, grandchildren, and grandparents. He adored his grandchildren and was a large presence in their lives, even when distance prevented him from seeing some of them. Al had many pets through the years, but truly loved his cats Fluffy and Tabby. He loved country and oldies music especially Alan Jackson and The Beach Boys; loved to cook and could whip up a delicious meal quickly; appreciated the simple things in life and seemed to keep everything but could never find ANYTHING. He had a dry and very sarcastic sense of humor.

Al was very much a patriot, a staunch Republican, and a huge supporter of Donald Trump. He wholeheartedly loved America and did his absolute best to buy American made products and vehicles. He was a man of traditional values and the American way, a true blue-collar man. He stood by his beliefs and could not be convinced otherwise.

Al was an avid baseball and football fan with a deep-rooted love for the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox. Bringing the family to Fenway Park was always a highlight of the summer. He secretly grew to like the Baltimore Ravens and was torn between cheering for his Red Sox or the Baltimore Orioles to whose games he had season tickets. It was so much fun for him to have family members meet them at Camden Yards to see the Red Sox and Orioles play. He liked all Boston teams and occasionally went to see the Celtics play. He loved taking his kids to see the Harlem Globetrotters – it was always a fun time. He also loved golf, though he didn’t get to play very often. While his children played sports, he umpired Little League baseball and softball, often officiating championship tournaments throughout Worcester County. When his kids were all younger, he loved playing baseball in the yard and oftentimes the neighborhood kids would join in.

He truly enjoyed completing the crossword puzzles with Karen. They both loved word search puzzles, but Al was the best at Sudoku. He and Karen were inseparable and did just about everything together. He loved travelling and taking road trips (especially camping), even sometimes taking his kids’ friends along. One of their favorite places to visit was Hawaii - they loved just floating in the ocean while enjoying the scenery. He loved their fishing trips with Jan and Mert and there were always stories to tell afterwards.

You may be gone from sight, but we will always carry your memory in our hearts.

Thank you to the staff at Springhouse of Pikesville for your kindness. Very special thanks to Gilchrist Hospice Care for the personal loving care you provided and unwavering support in this difficult time.

A memorial mass will take place on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church (22 West Main Street, West Brookfield, MA 01585) with a mercy meal directly following the mass at the 308 Lakeside restaurant (308 East Main Street, East Brookfield, MA 01515). If you plan to attend please reach out to the family to inform them on your intentions.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.charlesszeiler.com.

To honor Alfred’s memory, donations to your local SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) would be appreciated.