Obituary of Joseph E. Bourret

The Rev. Joseph E. Bourret, 93, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, died August 28, 2022, at home.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island to the late Nelson George and Helen (Nystrom) Bourret, he was raised in Cranston, Rhode Island. A 1954 honors graduate of Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas and a 1958 graduate of Augustana Seminary, Rock Island, Illinois, he funded his education working as a carpenter, sign painter, and as a radio broadcaster at WOC, Davenport, Iowa.

Ordained a Lutheran pastor in 1958, he served as pastor of several congregations in New Hampshire and Connecticut, continuing to serve the Church throughout his retirement. In 2006, he was named Pastor Emeritus of Concordia Lutheran Church in Manchester, Connecticut. In addition to his vocation in the Church, he worked in solar construction and radio broadcasting (WTIC and WKSS, Hartford). His many interests included woodworking, sailing, gardening, classical music, reading, and crosswords.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his siblings Nelson, Jr. and Mary DeFanti.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 69 years, Patricia Konze Bourret; four children: Kristine (James Garofolo), Steven (Susan), Rebecca (Jeffrey Kinney), and Jon; six grandchildren: Jacob Kinney (Shanna Adrian), Michelle (Mark), Samuel Kinney (Morgan Hilliard), David Garofolo (Kaleigh Cragan), Hannah Kinney (Sammie Nichols), and Philip Garofolo; a sister, Elizabeth Robison; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cherished friends.

A memorial service will be held at Concordia Lutheran Church, 40 Pitkin St., Manchester, Connecticut, at 11:00 a.m. on September 16, 2022, with calling hours from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on September 15 and one hour before the service, also at Concordia Lutheran Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (lstc.edu) or the ELCA World Hunger Appeal (community.elca.org/elcaworldhunger)