Joseph (Joe) Peter LeVasseur Jr.

Joseph (Joe) Peter LeVasseur Jr., loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend to all who knew him, passed away at his home on The LeVasseur Farm in Franklin, CT, surrounded by his family on March 25, 2024.

Known to many as Joe, he was the third of five sons born to the late Joseph and Anna (Gilberto) LeVasseur on October 1, 1952. His childhood was spent in Rocky Hill, CT, with his four brothers Peter, Paul, Marc, and John LeVasseur. The boys could be found riding bikes, running around the neighborhood, or eating endless amounts of delicious food that their mother made for them. 

As a teenager, Joe used to mow lawns and he often saw a girl riding horses in the fields behind the house. As fate would have it, he found himself working with her in the same grocery store. He liked her so much, he wouldn’t allow anyone else to bag her groceries as she worked the register. This is where he met Alene (Wolf) LeVasseur, his highschool sweetheart, the love of his life, wife of 50 years, and partner for 55 years. Together they had three children Kelly LeVasseur Reilly (Brian), Joseph William LeVasseur, and Kacey LeVasseur Haugh (Greg) and raised their family on a farm in Glastonbury, CT.

Joe graduated from Rocky Hill High School in 1970. Afterwards, he studied accounting at Central Connecticut State University. In his early career, he was an auto mechanic whose career spanned over 30 years managing stores for FireStone, GoodYear, and Monroe Muffler. He ran his own business, Natural Dental Lab, for 10 years with his wife. Then he moved on to Tilcon Connecticut as a diesel mechanic. In 2000, Joe and Alene sold their farm in Glastonbury and moved to a larger farm in Franklin. Together they renovated an old dairy farm turning it into a horse farm, rebuilding barns, clearing land to make pasture and growing hay for their horses. Joe could be found on his bulldozer and making sure all the hay balers and tractors were running smoothly. If there was a problem, he’d fix it. He was an idealist and known for building things before anyone asked for them. 

While living in Franklin, Joe was an active member of the community. In 2017 he ran for First Selectman and later served as a member of the Board of Finance for the Town of Franklin. For many years, Joe also served as Vice Chairman for the Town of Franklin Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission.

Joe retired and spent his free time working on the farm, continuing to build his paradise with Alene. He welcomed two son in-laws to his family and he provided them with guidance and advice about their cars. As his three kids bought houses, he helped them repair and build up their homes. Soon after, five grandchildren arrived. He adored his grandkids and was so proud of them. Brady, Francie and Finn Reilly called him Grandpa and Evelyn and Connor Haugh called him Poppy. He would take them out on the farm, show them how tools worked, feed the animals, ride the skid steer, and go on endless adventures that often ended with secret meetings in his horse trailer with unlimited ice cream.

Retirement allowed Joe more time to make new friends. They shared his love for riding and traveled together with their horses. Joe and his magnificent horse Peak would join friends and  camp for long weekends at Myles Standish State Forest, Otter Creek, NY, and beaches on Cape Cod and Rhode Island. He’d take Peak with him, they loved to swim in ponds, splash along the ocean waves, or gallop in a field. Peak is not a race horse, but you couldn’t tell that to either of them. His friends were reluctant to challenge Joe and Peak, knowing they’d be left in the dust behind a trail of hoofprints.

In recent years Joe was a Wrangler for the Alegra Farm, specializing in vintage horse drawn carriages, wagons, and equipment. With the Alegra Farm crew, he helped give carriage rides at weddings, sleigh rides in the winter, and horse drawn carriages at funerals. He worked on movies and TV shows, where the horses were the stars in period pieces. His biggest project was working on HBO’s The Gilded Age. He transported the horses to and from the sets, cared for them while they were on set for long weeks. He traveled to New York City for costume fittings and spent time filming on sets in Troy, NY, Newport, RI, and Bethpage, NY. During an election year, he drove two of his chickens to Rockefeller Center in Manhattan to participate in a parody skit on the Steven Colbert Show. His chickens had their own dressing room and did a great job. He was grateful for his fellow Wranglers for the friendships he made and the time spent together.

Joe had a big family. He leaves behind many cousins, nieces, nephews, brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, and his mother-in-law.

Joe was a kind man who will be missed by his family and friends. He will hold a special place in our hearts and his spirit will live on in our memories forever.

The family invites those who would like to remember Joe to join them in a Celebration of Life on May 4th in Franklin, CT. Please contact the family for details.