Rene Dulude, 84, passed away peacefully on May 29, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. He was the beloved son of the late Florida and Rene Dulude. Rene was proud to have grown up in the “Flats” of Holyoke. He is lovingly remembered by his wife of 65 years, Johanna (Rigali) Dulude; their four sons, Mark (Maureen, his wife), Anthony (Stacy, his wife), Perry "Pic" (Jodi, his wife), and William; and his beloved dog, Gemma. He also leaves behind ten cherished grandchildren; Sean, Gabrielle (Nate, her husband), Maximillian, Skyler, Chase, Lauren, Nickolis (Kylie, his wife), Morgan, Matthew and Maura and three great grandchildren; Allie, Nadia, and Kendall, all of whom he loved dearly. He also leaves his two cousins, Sue Rosner (Wayne, her husband) and Donna Gwozdzik (Jan, her husband). Rene graduated from Holyoke Trade before proudly serving in the United States Navy from 1961 to 1964 aboard the USS Lake Champlain aircraft carrier. Following his military service, he joined IBEW Local #7 Bricklayers and worked for Daniel O'Connell and Sons for 20 years. He was then employed at Holyoke Water Works and transferred to the Holyoke Housing Authority, where he worked his way up to become Clerk of the Works. Later in life, he was the owner of Pic's Pub in Holyoke. Rene had countless friends, far too many to mention, but especially Dizzy, Roger, Sal, Walter, Ray, Phil and Demps. Rene was always willing to lend a hand to family and friends and could build just about anything. He had many hobbies and interests. He loved baseball, coaching his favorite baseball team, The Steiger’s, and bringing his folding chair to watch his son’s and grandchildren’s games. He was also known to always have a yellow legal pad handy to draw his projects and keep numbers on and would always have a new puzzle to build. Rene loved trips to Montreal, camping, the Camp in Ludlow, and Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, Rhode Island where he played catch and cribbage on the beach all day. Rene will always be remembered for a huge smile and a bigger heart. The family would like to thank the Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst, especially Jennifer. Memorial contributions should be made to the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club, Nick Cosmos Way in Holyoke.

Rene will be buried at the Massachusetts State Veterans Cemetery at 1390 Main Street in Agawam. It is requested that all who would like to attend the burial join in the funeral procession on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am from the parking lot at Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, 2049 Northampton Street in Holyoke.