Obituary of Clifford D. Perreault

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Clifford (Cliff) David Perreault, born on August 3, 1938, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Vinal Perreault and Exilda Perreault, passed away at Fairview Hospital on December 10, 2024.

Cliff was born and raised in Pittsfield, graduating from Pittsfield High in 1956. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from St. John’s Seminary in Boston, MA, in 1960. He dedicated his life to education and community service, earning a master’s degree in education in 1995. Cliff and his loving wife Barbara moved to Housatonic in 1966, where they built a life with their two children that was full of love and community involvement. Cliff taught Latin and French in the Berkshire Hills Regional School District for over 40 years and shared his love for these subjects through chaperoning hundreds of students on educational trips to Europe. Beyond his professional career, Cliff was an active volunteer in the Housatonic Hose Company, Theresa of Calcutta at Corpus Christi Church, the Southern Berkshire Volunteer Ambulance, and the Great Barrington Conservation Committee. After retiring from teaching, he worked at Carr Hardware for nearly a decade and continued to travel with his wife until recent years. Cliff was a humble, dedicated, and kind man and will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Cliff was predeceased by his siblings, George Perreault, Leon Perreault, and Jean Perreault. Cliff is survived by his wife of 60 years Barbara Perreault, their children, Cynthia Perreault Joyner and Matthew Perreault (wife Amanda), six grandchildren; Jacqueline Campbell (husband Matthew), Andrew Joyner (wife Megan), Kelly Perreault (husband Javier), Avery Perreault, Maxwell Joyner, and Keith Perreault, as well as two great-grandchildren, Jackson and Colton Campbell.

A funeral service to honor Clifford’s life will be held at Saint Theresa of Calcutta at Corpus Christi Church in Housatonic on December 17, 2024, at 10:00 AM, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Great Barrington Fire Department or Corpus Christi Church. Condolences may be made through birchesroyfuneralservices.com.

Rest in peace, Clifford David Perreault.

13 Responses to Obituary of Clifford D. Perreault

  1. Such shocking news. To all his survivors, I am so sorry for your heartbreaking loss. He will be missed by all who knew him. The only one who could quote the Robert’s Rule of Order at out Housatonic Hose Company meetings. Again, I am truly sorry.

  2. Mr. Perreault was the most patient logical crafty and scientific method-based teacher I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Thank you, Cliff, for guiding me through those tough academic times of my youth. You will be missed and remembered by all you have guided. Rest in peace my friend. And YES, rules of order are a necessary part of life…

  3. My husband and I worked with Cliff on the Ambulance Squad until he retired. Cliff was the “seen it all… done it all” guy and always had an answer for newcomer’s questions. I remember Cliff as a kind and generous man. I never heard him once raise his voice to anyone. He always had a smile and a kind word. Rest in peace Cliff.

    • Ray & I have so many heart felt memories with you & the family at your river side home. The pig roasts, pudding fights with the children will always be remembered. We enjoyed your quiet but humorous conversations during our visits.
      You will be so very missed and we thank you Cliff for the loving memories.
      Peace & our love to you always,
      Patti & Ray

  4. Dad, We are so glad you passed peacefully into Heaven without prolonged suffering. You leave an amazing legacy of family, friends and students. You lived with humility, integrity, service and you valued relationships above all. As i reflect upon your life, i continue to learn more about honoring and serving others, and faithful loyalty. Thanks for being such a wonderful Dad

  5. Matt and the entire Perreault Family.

    My deepest sympathies go out to you and your family. May you find peace and strength in the days ahead.
    May God grant you and your family peace and comfort during this difficult time. I am grateful for the short time I got to spend with “Cliffy” while he was visiting Matt in California. I also understand he was a well known, loved and a faithful servant to his community. I think we could all learn from Cliff and strive to live a life of love and serving others as Cliff did. May God Bless the family and provide peace in this time off loss.

    May God keep him and may his memory be eternal. Amen

    All of our love and prayers,
    Rick and Lisa Dughman

  6. We have many great memories when our family of 4 visited Housatonic. The hikes, picnics/barbecues and parties in the backyard were special.
    Cliff was a wonderful host, always wearing a broad smile.
    Thanks for your kindness,
    Love, Peter, Karen, Lyn and David

  7. My deepest sympathy for your loss. Mr. Perreault was a great French teacher. I enjoyed being in his classes. Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

  8. Dear Barbara and Family,

    I was sorry to hear about Cliff’s passing. He was a beloved colleague and I always enjoyed the time we spent together.

    May his memory be for a blessing,
    Bob Salzman

  9. II am so sorry to hear of Cliff’s passing. He was a class act. His steady work on the Fire Department was remarkable. A great teacher and instructor, he helped us all through the medical parts of our training. Rest in peace Cliff!!

  10. Rest in peace, “Papa Cliff” – honored that you are my kids’ grandpa. I will picture you sitting and reading your book in your favorite chair or helping someone with your (incredible!) vast knowledge set on so many different topics. Thank you for your kindness and acceptance when I met you all those years ago. Meant the world to me. Sending comfort and care to Barb and the rest of the family. So glad you’ll gather together to honore Cliff’s beautiful life.

  11. A couple of months ago, I sat down at my dining room table in order to attempt to recall all of my grade 1-12 teachers.

    In the process, I recalled most of them, including Cliff who I had for French in right grade at South Jr. High in Pittsfield. He was a dedicated professional with strong feelings for both his students and his subject matter.

    I went on to become a high school social studies teacher for 36 years, retiring in 2016.
    I am always grateful to those like Cliff who provided a true example of what learning and education should be.

    Thank you Mr. Perrault!!! May you rest in peace.

  12. Rest in peace to a good man and a great grandfather. You’re missed greatly grandpa.

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