His parents, Eugene and Elodia (Rouleau) Cloutier, welcomed their son into the world on June 29, 1927 in Winchendon, MA. He grew up in Winchendon and was a 1946 graduate of Murdock High School in Winchendon.
Arthur enlisted in the Army on September 28, 1950, serving during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged from active duty on June 28, 1952, earning the rank of Technical Sergeant. Arthur transferred to the Army Reserves where he continued to serve until his discharge on September 12, 1956. He was a member of the Brattleboro, Vermont VFW and American Legion Posts.
Arthur was well known in the community, serving many customers in the area as manager of the Aubuchon Hardware store in Keene for over thirty-seven years. After he retired, he and his wife volunteered together at the Community Kitchen for several years.
He loved to dance and would often boast that he and his wife never sat out a song while in a dance hall. They enjoyed polkas, square dancing and all types of ballroom dancing. He and his wife traveled all over the world, creating photographic scrapbooks of their adventures. At home, he made his mark in the neighborhood by painting bowling balls with “smiley faces” that he used to decorate his yard. He also enjoyed family gatherings, playing cards with friends, listening to country music, reading, and completing word search puzzles. He was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 478 of Keene, and a longtime parishioner of both St. Bernard’s and St. Margaret Mary Church in Keene.
He will be greatly missed by his wife of 64 years, Jeanne C. (Rouleau) Cloutier, of Keene; his children, Russell A. Cloutier and his wife, Mary Beth Given, of Keene, Celeste A. Kaye and her husband, Barry, of Sharon, MA, Denise M. Cloutier, of Goshen, CT; his grandchildren, Rachel Maguire and her husband, Rory, Stephanie Borow and her husband Scott, Jason Kaye, Gregory Cloutier; a great-granddaughter, Allison Borow; and many nieces, nephews and extended family members. He was predeceased by five brothers, Napoleon, Donat, Gerard, Elie and Syilva; and two sisters, Claire (Caouette) Bernard and Rose Hanks.
A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at noon, in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 52 Spruce Street, Winchendon, MA. Burial with committal prayers and military honors will follow at 2:00pm in the Massachusetts Veterans Cemetery Chapel, 111 Glenallan Street, Winchendon.
For those who wish, donations may be made in Mr. Cloutier’s memory to the Tribute Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
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