Conrad P. Fortier, 87, passed away on Monday, February 26, 2018, surrounded by his family, at the Philip Hulitar Hospice Center of Hope Hospice & Palliative Care RI. He was the beloved husband of Phyllis (Wnenta) Fortier, to whom he was married 58 years.
Born in Warren, RI, he was a son of the late Donat P. and Rose D. (Dallaire) Fortier and a longtime resident of Swansea.
Conrad served two years as a radio operator in the U.S. Army in Germany. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Providence College, attended the University of Montreal, earned a Master of Education degree from Assumption College, and was a doctoral candidate at Boston College. He taught at B.M.C. Durfee High School and Providence College and was an administrator in bilingual education at Lesley University. He was also employed by the United States Postal Service.
Conrad was a gentle Renaissance man with wide-ranging interests, including photography, painting, cooking, and music. He played the double bass and was a former assistant director of the Allegro Glee Club in Fall River, where he met his wife. He was a former vice president of the Fall River Art Association. He played tennis and golf, and enjoyed fishing, books, travel, and wine. He was famous for his lavish Christmas dinners, the menu for which was always a closely-held secret. He was a devout Catholic, serving as a Eucharistic Minister and lector at the former Our Lady of Fatima Church in Swansea (now St. Francis of Assisi). For many years he served on the board of St. Stan’s Seniors, where he enjoyed the camaraderie of special friends. He loved playing bridge for hours on end with Roger and Viv, hiking and bird-watching with George, competitive games of Upwords with Barbara and Frank, and he looked forward to his weekly Tuesday breakfasts with longtime chum Leon, where they attempted to solve the problems of the world.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children: Suzanne Fortier of Warwick, RI; Nicole Fortier and her husband Michael Coughlin of Fall River; Elise Fortier and her husband Richard Lauterbach of Attleboro; and Eric Fortier and his wife Elena Langdon Fortier of Holyoke. He will be missed by his grandchildren, Gabriel Bielawski, Miriam Bielawski, Clover Fortier, Frida Fortier, and Felix Fortier; a godson, Paul J. Gladue; and cherished nieces and nephews. He had one brother, Reginald C. Fortier.
A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 9:00 AM at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 530 Gardners Neck Rd., Swansea, MA 02777. Burial will be private. Visiting hours are Friday from 4:00–7:00 PM at the Waring-Sullivan Home at Birchcrest, 189 Gardners Neck Rd., Swansea. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his name may be made to St. Francis of Assisi Church or Hope Hospice & Palliative Care RI, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904. For directions and tributes, please see www.waringsullivanswansea.com.
