Leo Grenier, 93, Former Fire Chief & Lions Club President

Leo Grenier, 93, passed away peacefully on Thursday evening surrounded by his loving family. He was the husband of the late Loretta Shirley (Lambert) who passed away in 1984. He leaves his wife, Alice Williams Roe-Grenier, 99, of Cranston. He also leaves a son, Kenneth Grenier his wife, Joan and Sutrisno "Su" Achmad Redjo, who was a second son to Leo and Shirley. He was a devoted grandpa to three granddaughters, Joan (Grenier) Smith, Kelly Grenier-Riley and Karen Grenier, and three great grandchildren, Ava, Donovan and Jonathan.

Born in the Phenix village of West Warwick, Leo and his parents, Arthur Grenier and Blanche (Moreau), soon moved to the Greenwood/Apponaug section of Warwick. Leo was a graduate of Lockwood High School '40, for whom he played baseball and hockey. He began a life of service at the age of 15 when he became a volunteer firefighter at the Greenwood Volunteer Fire Department. In the summer of 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a Carpenter's Mate, Second Class stationed in Plymouth, England during World War II and sailed home on the "Queen Elizabeth" to an honorable discharge in December of 1945.

Leo was employed at A. E. Bragger Construction Co. after the war until joining the Kent County Water Authority where he worked for 35 years until retiring as Assistant Superintendent in 1985. Grenier served as Fire Chief of the Washington Fire Department in Coventry from May 1958 May 1968. He was a long standing member and past president of the Coventry/West Greenwich Loins Club. He was a life-long member of the Warwick Fire Department, and also a member of the American Legion Post #2 in West Warwick, the Coventry-West Greenwich Elks and the Apponaug Old Timers group.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 3250 Post Road, Apponaug at 10:30 am. Burial will immediately follow at Pocasset Cemetery with Military Honors. All who knew Leo will be welcome to attend both the calling hours and the funeral. www.murphyfuneralhomes.org.