<div>My father, Ronald Levesque, recently passed away. He was the Building Manager at Harvard University for Quincy House and several other houses, and his dedication touched many lives in the community. His passing has left our family with unexpected expenses and the loss of his retirement income, making this transition especially difficult.
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<div>I am seeking support to help cover the costs of his cremation and to manage living expenses as I adjust to life without his financial support. The generosity of friends, family, and the Harvard community would make a meaningful difference during this challenging time.
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<div>I am deeply grateful for any help people can give, and I understand how tough things are for everyone right now. Please don't feel pressured to give more than you can. If you can't donate, sharing this fundraiser on social media would mean a lot to me and my family. Your support, in any form, is truly appreciated. 
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<div>My wife, who loved my father dearly, put together a snapshot of a incredible man I hope I can halfway live up to. Thank you for the time reading this. After all, it's finite. Remember to call your parents today if possible.
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<div>As many of you may already know, my father-in-law Ronald (Ronnie) Levesque passed away. It’s not very often I find myself at a loss for words. I usually have plenty to say (sometimes too much!) but I feel lost. I pretty much knew it was coming, but it doesn’t make any of this any easier. Ive had the privilege of being a part of his family for right at eighteen years now. During this time, some great memories were created. It also allowed me a glimpse into the man who raised my husband and made him who he is today. I would now like to share with everyone what I knew about Ronnie. 
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<div>Ronnie served in the US Navy from 1955 - 1958. He was known to many of his shipmates as "Frenchie," and was stationed aboard the USS Bennington. The USS Bennington was designated as an Attack Aircraft Carrier (CVA-20) operating primarily within the Pacific Fleet. Ronnie was a part of major milestones and deployments including the 1955-1956 Far East Deployment, 1956-1957 WestPac Cruise, and the 1957-1958 Pacific Operations. 
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<div>Ronnie returned home he met his wife Kathleen. Both were young, started dating, and eventually got married. They had two kids, Barry aka BJ to family members (and my husband), and his sister Colleen. Like many young couples, there were struggles, and later a divorce with the two remained best friends as their kids grew up. Ronnie and Kathleen still cared, and deep down loved each other, but both were too stubborn to admit it for years. They would eventually come to admit that, and the two got remarried at the at the Quincy House years later. 
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<div>Ronnie was hired as a Harvard University building manager in 1974, by House Master Charles Dunn. During his formulative years at Harvard he was a smoker. He was standing outside his office lighting a fresh cigarette with an almost burnt out cigarette, with another in the ash tray in his office. He said to himself, “What am I doing?” He took the pack of cigarette and the ashtray and threw them in the trash. He never smoked again. He served as a superintendent and building manager for major campus facilities, handling daily operations and maintenance. Ronnie won the Faculty of Arts and Sciences award in 1998, The Levesque Room and plaque were made in his honor, and a campus cafeteria Honorary Burger/Culinary Award were just a few of his accomplishments before retiring in 2009.
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<div>Ronnie’s popularity among students and staff earned him a room “The Levesque Room”, named to recognize his service, where he was known for his early mornings, diligence, and warmth. The room features a commemorative wall plaque honoring Ronnie’s bravery. On January 5, 1987, during winter break, a serious fire broke out in Quincy House suite 605. Ronnie and maintenance crew chief Manuel DaSilva grabbed fire extinguishers and ran into the burning, smoke-filled room to look for trapped students. Both men emptied six extinguishers to suppress the fire and had to be hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
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<div>He didn’t only handle Quincy house, but also Claverly Hall, and 10 and 20 Dewolfe apartments separately, along with Adam’s house and Leverett House when they were between superintendents or on vacation. He served as a trusted leader across campus operations, notably acting as the chair of the House Superintendents' Storage Committee where he he managed custodial crews and helped draft dorm safety and summer storage regulations for undergraduate students. The “Ronnie Burger” is a cajun-spiced burger specifically named to honor his impact on student life. Harvard Food Services named the burger after him at the local campus grille located in Quincy. It became a late-night comfort food staple for generations of students, faculty, and staff. 
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<div>Alongside his regular duties, Ronnie famously built a mesh enclosure in 1996 to protect a mother duck nesting in one of the house planters and was a pivotal figure in the switch from metal keys to the modern card key system at Quincy House. Ronnie was also instrumental in coordinating physical transitions within the university, including the structural modernization of the "New Quincy" dining spaces and the reopening of the historic undergraduate social hub known as "The Cage" along with massive renovations to Old Quincy (Quincy house is comprised of two separate buildings in the same courtyard).
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<div>After retiring in 2009, Ronnie moved to North Attleboro to spend his retirement years with the love of his life, Kathleen. They both enjoyed spending time together and enjoyed helping their daughter Colleen care for their autistic grandkids Brett and Savannah. Ronnie was a avid sports fan. The typical hardcore Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics fan, when not busy, he was watching sports. 
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<div>In 2013 Ronnie went to a doctor’s appointment after some tests to find out he had suffered a heart attack he didn’t realize was one, and at that appointment was told should not leave. He needed to be admitted immediately because he could have another any minute. He needed a triple bypass and a valve replacement. When told this he said to his doctor he couldn’t, who would take care of Savannah. Barry had to tell him, Don’t worry she’ll be fine. You can’t take care of her if you’re dead dad.”. He ended up having the heart surgery. In his recovery they gave him one pain pill while still coming out of the anesthesia. That was the only pill he took like that. He kept telling the nurses he was fine. Later he told us it hurt like hell, but he didn’t like to take pills like that. His military training coming back again. Like the true champion he was, Ronnie recovered with record speed. But less than a year later, while staying at our home, Kathleen suffered a major stroke when she was going up the stairs to the bathroom (located on the second floor) and fell down a long flight of stairs, breaking her collar bone and wrist. After the stroke, Kathleen never fully recovered. Ronnie never gave up hope, he was there with her till the very end. Sadly Kathleen passed away in 2017. 
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<div>Ronnie continued to be there for his kids, continued helping care for his autistic grandkids, until he made his last trip to the hospital. He was always there for his beloved Kathleen, his grandkids, kids, and me. Brett is now in college, but sadly Savannah’s autism was far more severe and needs constant home care. 
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<div>Through it all Ronnie took care of others for almost a century. From a child through the military and then 10s of thousands of students that came and left through those gates and finally his grandkids. Unfortunately his children and grandkids still need help. Without his retirement his daughter can’t afford their rent and may need fuck off move. Which then involves rent and deposits, moving company because she can’t lift the boxes packed up. Some of Ronnie’s items need to be shipped to Tennessee where his son resides with me. Additionally there are a host of costs involved with taking care of an autistic child. So we come to you asking for help. He was always a private man, someone who would just tell you he was fine even when he wasn’t. But we aren’t him. We could never measure up to someone like him. So we humbly ask for you help, and we hate to do it. We know how hard it is right now with prices skyrocketing. So please don’t put yourself out if you would donating.
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Joe Weidenbach

Deena Shrestha

Jane Ebert

Rebecca Tortello

Melanie Bunner

Jennifer Arnot

Suzanne Watts

Chris Zymaris

Adam Johnson

Tim Gray

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