Richard William Lamontagne

Richard “Dick” Lamontagne died on November 9, 2026, at the age of 84, with his loving family by his side.

Dick was born on April 2, 1942, in Berlin, NH, to Violet M. (Pigeon) and William J. Lamontagne. Growing up in Berlin, he discovered two of his greatest passions: music and hockey, both of which remained constants throughout his life.

When a neighborhood band was looking for a rhythm guitarist for their rock-n-roll group, Dickie convinced his mother to buy him his first guitar. She did, and he quickly taught himself to play and joined the band. While in college, he teamed up with a new group of musicians to form “The Dynatones,” earning spending money by traveling around the state and playing at parties. As an adult, he could often be found strumming his guitar at full volume in the living room or entertaining family and friends at Abbott Run cookouts or around the fire at “The Jack.” Music remained a big part of his life right up until the end.

Dickie also learned to play hockey alongside the neighborhood kids and quickly became a standout player at Notre Dame High School. During his four years there, he traveled throughout New England competing in tournaments, making quite a name for himself despite his modest 5'6" stature. When college recruiters came calling with a four-year scholarship to play Division I hockey at UNH, Dickie jumped at the opportunity to play another four years. He traded the state-of-the-art hockey arena at Notre Dame for an outdoor rink at UNH, where he was surprised to discover there wasn't even a proper Zamboni. Despite this less-than-ideal setup, Dick continued to make his mark on the ice and formed friendships with teammates and mentors that would last a lifetime.

Like music, hockey remained an important part of his life. In retirement, he joined the Rhody Oldies Hockey Club and played in tournaments with the Rusty Blades. Just as he had during his college years, he continued traveling throughout New England, playing in tournaments and kicking butt on the ice until he finally called it quits at the age of 80.

At UNH, Dickie also joined the ATO fraternity alongside many of his hockey teammates and eventually served as President during his senior year. When he wasn't playing hockey, strumming his guitar, or spending time at ATO, he could be found hitting the books in pursuit of his Mechanical Engineering degree, which he earned in 1963. After graduating from UNH, Dick, no longer Dickie, was accepted into and graduated from Officer Training School for the U.S Navy. While in the Navy, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant. He proudly served aboard the USS Yorktown as the Assistant Staff Communications Officer and Administrative Assistant. He received the National Defense Medal and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for his service in Vietnam and after completing active duty, he remained in the Navy reserves until 1970. He always looked back fondly on his time in the Navy, and even as his memory began to fade, his memories of his Naval days and traveling the world remained remarkably sharp.

While still serving in the US Navy, Dick married Sharon Couture in 1966. Sharon accompanied him on his many assignments, their most favorite spot being Key West, Florida. After moving from Key West to Bangor, Maine the couple eventually settled in Bedford, NH, where they began their family. By this time, Dick was working as an engineer for New England Telephone. In Bedford, Dick and Sharon made wonderful friends and neighbors whom they hated to leave, but when Dick was transferred to Rhode Island, they were left with little choice.

That career move proved to be life-changing for them both. Dick continued working for New England Telephone as it transformed into NYNEX, Bell Atlantic, and eventually Verizon. His role evolved as well, taking him from engineering into management and eventually into Labor Relations, which became the part of his career he truly enjoyed the most. He was so passionate about his work that even after retirement, he couldn't quite stay away and continued working as a consultant for the company for many years.

While it was a great career move, the transfer to Rhode Island wasn't an easy one for the New Hampshire-based family. Recognizing Sharon's reluctance to leave her beloved home state, Dick promised to buy her a little cabin so they would always have a connection to New Hampshire. Although Dick and Sharon went on to make their home in Cumberland, Rhode Island, where they also found wonderful friends and neighbors, they continued to enjoy their New Hampshire roots at their cabin in Sunapee. The family made incredible memories there as Dick and Sharon passed along their love of skiing and all things New Hampshire to their children.

Eventually, they traded the cabin for a condo on a golf course in Woodstock, NH. There, Dick and Sharon enjoyed an active social life and continued to stay busy as season pass holders at Loon Mountain and avid members of the Jack-O-Lantern Golf Course. This December, Dick and Sharon would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

It is hard to put into words what Dick, Dad, and Pepere meant to those lucky enough to know him and spend time with him. He was strong and confident, and he could be stern, but he was also kind, loving, and downright silly. For his four daughters, these qualities served them well. He was the Dad who would tuck you in at night and spend hours making up the best stories about Poopy Penguin and Diarrhea Dog and the adventures they would have in their very large vegetable garden to help you fall asleep. But he was also the Dad you could call when a moving company is holding your life’s possession hostage by very large men, with questionable morals demanding an amount of cash you could not possibly produce. At 5’6” you just knew he could stare them down, make them cry and most importantly get them to give you your stuff back.

He was everything you could want in a friend, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He had the unique capacity to see, accept and appreciate people for who they were. To those who loved him that was his most remarkable quality. Watching his memory slowly fail him over the past few years as Alzheimer's took hold was one of the hardest things for his loved ones to witness. Especially since it took hold so soon after his victory over cancer. We find some peace in knowing his suffering has ended, but as the rock of our family, his absence leaves an enormous hole in our lives. We fully believe he is somewhere better now strumming Fleetwood Mac on his guitar while drinking a beer with his furry grandpups who passed before him at his feet. His voice is strong and the twinkle in his eyes shines on.

Dick is survived by his brother Rene (Priscille) of Goffstown, NH, his loving wife of 59 years, Sharon, of North Smithfield; his daughters, Shelly Beck (Daryl), Wendy Campbell (Christopher), Stacy Lamontagne (Michael St. Cyr), and Jodi Lamontagne (Corey Salustio); and his grandchildren, Colman, Jessica, Jackson, Owen, Corinne, Kyla, and Leo.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to a Mass at 11:30 AM on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at St. John the Evangelist Church, 63 Church St., Slatersville RI. Visitation will take place prior to the Mass, on November 19th, from 9:00 - 11:00 AM, in the O’Neill Funeral Home, 3102 Mendon Road, Cumberland RI. Richard will be interred at a later date in New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen, NH.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Association RI Chapter, 245 Waterman St. #306, Providence RI 02906.