COUSINEAU, Richard L.
Richard "Rick" Louis Cousineau of Englewood, Ohio, (age 88) passed away on February 4, 2021, in Dayton, Ohio.
Rick requested that no funeral or memorial service be performed in his behalf, and family members will instead hold a private celebration of life gathering at a future designated date.
Richard Cousineau was born in Columbus, Ohio, on November 29, 1932, to Louis and Eloise Cousineau and lived in that area throughout his childhood. He attended Worthington High School until the family moved to Dayton, and he graduated Fairview High School (Class of 1950). He graduated Wake
Forest College (University) with honors in 1954. He also served honorably for two years in the U.S. Army as a map plotter and radioman with the 7th Army's 12th Anti-Aircraft Group (27th AAA Battalion) located in Kaiserslautern, Germany. In 1959, he went on to receive a law degree from Notre Dame
University where he published the essay, "Constitutional Law: Right to Counsel-- The Right to Administrative Counsel in
Administrative Proceedings" in the Notre Dame Law Review. Upon passing the bar exam, he worked successfully as an
attorney in Dayton, and spent many successful years practicing law with the firm Pickrel, Schaeffer, and Embeling before starting his own practice in the early 1980s. He was extremely well-liked and respected throughout the Dayton legal
community and known for intellectual strengths, firm
convictions, sharp wit and vibrant sense of humor. In 1959,
Richard married Dorothy Jean Cousineau of Terre Haute,
Indiana and they raised four sons together until divorcing in 1977. Upon his retirement in 2005, the Dayton Bar Association awarded him for over four decades of service in the legal community. After retiring, Richard continued to serve his
community as he volunteered in the Dayton Public Schools as a reading tutor for several years building strong relationships with many students, teachers and administrators. Rick was an avid reader and scholar his entire life, and an expert in several areas of military history and was highly knowledgeable in sports history. Prior to retirement, he also was a skilled military modeler and enjoyed fishing, watching horse racing, and
caring for tropical freshwater fish. He was a strong supporter of the Dayton Gems and a strong follower of the Montreal Canadiens, Fighting Irish, Browns, Reds, New York Yankees and his beloved Demon Deacons. He was a caring and
supporting father and grandfather who instilled a positive and firm character foundation in his children, and set them up for success as adults, professionals, and parents.
Richard is preceded in death by his parents Louis and Eloise Cousineau (1966, 1968) and former wife Dorothy (2019). He and is survived by his sons Louis, Rennie, Larry and Jerry Cousineau and four grandchildren (Lauren, Andrew, Chloe and Abbey Cousineau).