Raymond 'Pepere' Charbonneau

The Charbonneau family, still struggling to cope with the loss of my Aunt Karen, has yet another reason to grieve.

My grandfather, my Pepere, died Tuesday of a heart attack. He was 82.



Here is Pepere nearly 30 years ago at my Christening. He's the rather serious looking guy on the left side. This picture makes him look so stern. That's not how I think of him.

He was in the Navy. He was a cook. I know he made a custard pie for the actor Edward G. Robinson once. Mr. Robinson said it was top notch. Pepere was flattered.

He had a family of 11 kids. He drank. He smoked Pall Mall cigarettes. He had a huge voice that filled a room, no matter what size the room was. I get that from him.



My Pepere lived with us for several years on Cape Cod. First, we all lived together at the Panorama Motor Lodge above the Bourne Rotary. This photo is from a New Years Eve celebration there. Don't I look festive? You can see my sis, Danielle, also rockin' the shiny party hat in the background.

Later we moved to Falmouth and Pepere lived in the apartment below our house at the Capewind Motor Lodge in Teaticket.

He used to play with our dog Izzy. He used to ask her over and over again, "Who's a good girl?" Izzy loved the attention.

He'd make amazing stuffed quahogs and clam chowder. (Pardon me, 'chowdah.')

We used to have large, weekend-long family reunions and we never stopped eating, talking, drinking or laughing. He looked forward to them.

In the 90's, he quit smoking and lost a ton of weight by walking every day. The transformation was remarkable. I admired him for it.

He was friendly. He talked to everybody. He got me my first job at a local bakery by telling the owner that I was a great kid. I was 14.

I use to buy him Old Spice and scratch tickets for his birthday.

For the holidays, he used to play Santa Claus. He really played the part, too. He had a real beard and an enormous laugh. Kids used to see him around town and think it was the real Santa.

He always said, "Hi Ho! Hi Ho! Here's Nicole!" Just like the song the 7 dwarfs sing in 'Snow White' as they head off to work. I think it was because I was always doing something, always working, always creating.

He said 'I love you' all the time. He was a wonderful grandfather.



This is without a doubt my favorite photo of my Pepere. I am so fortunate that he got to meet Cooper before he left this earth. Cooper liked him right away.

I feel like I can still here him laughing. Heck, if anyone has a voice that's powerful enough to travel all the way down from heaven, it's Pepere.

I love you, Pepere. You may not have ever won the lottery, but you were rich with a wealth of friends and family and we will all miss you.