Ralph Francis Coughlin

Longmeadow – Ralph Francis Coughlin, 81, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, died on January 9, 2018 at Baystate Medical Center. He was born in Springfield to the late, William and Mary (Gordon) Coughlin on September 29, 1936. Ralph was a 1954 graduate of Agawam High School and attended Western New England College. He was a foreman for New England Telephone Company for 39 years until he retired in 1994. After retirement he became Chief Operating Officer at Baystate Dental where he worked closely with his family from 1996-2016. Ralph was an auxiliary policeman for the Town of Agawam and a Notary Public. Above all Ralph loved being a family man and was proud of all his children and grandchildren’s accomplishments. He will be greatly missed for his kind and loving ways. In addition to his parents Ralph was predeceased by his sister, Christina Murphy and his brother, William Coughlin. He leaves his loving wife of 59 years, Joyce (Mercadante) Coughlin; his two sons, Dr. Kevin Coughlin and his wife Karen, and Dr. Bret Coughlin and his wife Nina all of Longmeadow; six grandchildren, Dr. Ryan Coughlin and his wife Lindsay, Lindsay Gill and her husband John Paul, Jared, Taylor, Shane, and Shayla Coughlin; five great-grandchildren, Luke and Sophie Gill, and Olivia, Ellie, and Miles Coughlin; three sisters, Thelma Coughlin, Maybeth Coughlin and Marjorie Murray all of Longmeadow; a sister-in-law, Dona Mercadante of Feeding Hills; and many nieces and nephews. The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Richard Steingart and the D’Amour Cancer Center. Family and friends are invited to attend visiting hours on Thursday, January 11th from 4-7PM at Forastiere Smith Funeral Home, 220 North Main St., East Longmeadow. Ralph’s funeral service will be held on Friday, January 12th from the funeral home at 10:15AM followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Mary’s Church in Longmeadow at 11:30AM. Burial will follow in St. Thomas Cemetery, West Springfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ralph’s honor to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, P. O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202 or Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445.

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