Richard Daniel Ouellette

Richard D. Ouellette entered eternal rest on August 19, 2026. Born November 10, 1947, in Lewiston, Maine, he was the son of Louise and Conrad Ouellette. A former resident of the Village of Kinderhook, Dick cherished his twenty-one  months living independently at the Payne Home in Chatham with its kindhearted staff and fellow residents.

Richard was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen Meyer, in 2000 and son, Gregory, in 2010. He is survived by his son, Jeffrey (Teresa), and grandchildren Amelia Ouellette of Savannah, GA, Chase (Delaney) Ouellette of Rockwall, TX, and Paxton (Robert James III) Ouellette, Esq. of Washington, DC.

Richard retired from the National Park Service at Lindenwald. He began his career working for his father, Conrad, as a framing contractor and father-in-law, Dudley Ray Meyer, Jr., building over 1,000 homes in the 518 region. He often reflected on delivering the Knickerbocker News around Kinderhook Lake during his youth.

Dick proudly served aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) as a carpenter and firefighter. On July 29, 1967, the supercarrier experienced the worst combat-zone disaster (Inferno at Sea) in U.S. Navy history since World War II in the Gulf of Tonkin, which forever changed his life.

Richard believed in service to his community. He was elected to the Kinderhook Village Board as a Trustee, and gladly accepted the assignment of dogs, broken streetlamps, and trash removal. He was a board member and coach of Northern Columbia Little League at the time the organization transitioned away from Rensselaer Columbia Little League. When the need arose, Dick led a robust Webelos den for Pack 113 – Kinderhook. His scouts still talk about their adventures to this day.

Internment took place at the family burial plot in the Kinderhook Reformed Church Cemetery.

Shiva will be held at the home of Jeffrey Ouellette, 34 Round Lake Road, Valatie, on August 23, 2026, from 1:00pm until 5:00pm.

The family would like to thank Dr. Uppal, Joy Aaron, and the nursing team on the 8B Med-Surg wing of the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center.