Richard “Dutchie” Morini passed away peacefully on January 19, 2019, at 91 years young, after living a very full and happy life.
Dutchie was born in Plymouth in 1927 to Aldo and Theresa (Gilli) Morini and was a lifelong resident. He excelled in football while in high school and was a member of the Plymouth Rockets team after graduating. Dutch was a WWII medic in the army and served in Germany. He was a plumber by trade, working for local businesses into the 1960’s and then owning his own company until 1975 with partners Larry Rooney and Dick Marshall. He was the Plumbing and Gas Inspector for the Town of Plymouth for 11 years before going to work at the Jordan Hospital, where he retired in 2003. He cherished the many long-lasting friendships he had made with coworkers. Dutch was an avid sportsman and loved to be outdoors with his beloved hunting dogs.
He spent many seasons with his best pals, “The Gentlemen of Clifford Lake” hunting and fishing at their cabin in Maine. By far one of his favorite places was the Plymouth Rod and Gun Club, where he served for several years as their President. Some of his happiest times were spent with his fellow members telling stories and enjoying their friendship and company. Dutch was best known for his warm, cheerful demeanor and his ability to tell a good story and joke. He held dear his many memories of growing up in North Plymouth and loved to recount his escapades with his childhood friends. He leaves behind his devoted family, including his wife Kathleen, Brother Dede (wife Barbara), daughter Lynda (husband Phil), son Paul, stepson Doug Trask (wife Robin) and stepdaughter Kristin Menard; his grandchildren Sarah Prario (husband Justin), Matthew Flanagan, Aja Oehme and Christopher Morini; his great-grandchildren Dylan, Hannah, Ava and Owen Prario, Justin and Jackie Trask, and PJ and Olivia Menard. His nieces and nephews, the Morini’s (including the late Jeffrey) the Pederzani and Peters children (including the late Bobby), will certainly remember Uncle Dutchie making them laugh at holidays and birthday parties. He was happy to feed his children’s friends when they came to visit, to pull out the loose baby teeth for the kids in the neighborhood, and to make us all laugh at the dinner table until milk came out of our noses. He was a lover of nature and enjoyed any time he could spend outdoors. He taught us to bait a hook, shoot at a target, fix a leaky faucet, cook steamed clams, and to work hard and be kind. Dutchie wanted to make sure everything and everyone in his world was taken care of. He was always right there whenever we needed him to fix our plumbing, build a rabbit hutch or a go-cart, make us laugh or dry a tear. He was a teacher and a mentor. We will miss him every day.
The family would like to thank the friends and family that came to visit him over the last month. He was so happy to see all of you. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.