Joseph W. "Bill" Lefrancois

Joseph W. “Bill” Lefrancois, age 97, a long-time resident of Dracut, died Tuesday, April 21, 2026, two days shy of his 98th birthday. He was the beloved husband of Rita A. (Mathews) Lefrancois, with whom he shared 66 years of marriage.

He was born in Lawrence on April 23,1928 and was a son of the late Mary T. (O’Leary) and Eugene B. Lefrancois. Upon graduating high school, Bill proudly joined the United States Navy as a Yeoman 2nd Class and served in both the Second World War and the Korean War. Bill spent his childhood years during the Great Depression, which shaped him into a man who was hard working, practical and family focused, with a direct manner yet always kind and loving. He was a natural storyteller and loved to talk about his upbringing in Lawrence, working in the mills and getting into good natured mischief with the neighborhood kids and his siblings. He was a skilled craftsman and, surprisingly, a very good dancer, who met his beloved Rita at The Commodore Dance Hall in Lowell. They married a short time later, residing initially in Tewksbury before settling in Dracut where they would raise their family.

Bill worked as a machinist at Watts Regulator and later at Raytheon Corporation, retiring in 1992. He embraced the leisurely pace of retirement. He loved being outdoors, playing a good game of cards, reading biographies and the daily newspaper. Most treasured however was time spent with family.

In addition to his wife Rita, Bill is survived and will be deeply missed by his five children, thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild, William Lefrancois, his daughter Kimberly, his dear Ruth and their daughter Grace; Robert Lefrancois, his wife Melinda and their children, Kristina Kelley, her husband Andrew and their son Gabriel; Emily Small and her husband William; Mary Ann Zimmerman and her husband Ron and their children, Audrey, Olivia and Sophia; Joseph Lefrancois and his significant other Cristina, their daughter Ava, and sons Frankie, Matthew and Paulo; and Theresa Ryan and her husband Dan and their children, Henry and Charlotte. Bill is also survived by his brother, John Lefrancois, as well as many extended family and friends. He was the brother of the late Norman Lefrancois and his wife Dorothea, Mary Gertrude Griffin and her husband James and brother-in-law of the late Virginia Lefrancois. He was also predeceased by his father-in-law, Gus Mathews, who resided with the family for many years.

The family would like to extend their immense gratitude to Bill’s treasured caregivers, Rena, Valery, Rose and Heidi, who over the past few years have become like family, and have been instrumental in allowing him to remain at home. Extreme gratitude is also extended to the Tufts Medicine Care at Home team.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Bill’s Life Celebration on Sunday, April 26, 2026 from 3 until 5 PM at McKENNA-OUELLETTE FUNERAL HOME, 327 Hildreth Street, Lowell. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday at 10 AM in Ste. Marguerite d’Youville Church, Dracut. Burial to follow in Tewksbury Cemetery, Tewksbury.