Orphir Joseph Joyal

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 08/18/2026 - 09:58
Submitter's First Name
Hope
Submitter's Last Name
Joyal
Relationship to Honoree
Great-Granddaughter
Submitter's Phone Number
401-205-5873
Submitter's Email Address
0rphicarg0naut2007@gmail.com
Mill Employee First Name
Orphir
Mill Employee Middle Name
Joseph
Mill Employee Last Name
Joyal
Mill Employee Birth Date
Mill Employee Birthplace
St. Guillaume d'Upton, QC
Mill Employee Workplace 1
Woonsocket Rayon
Job Title 1
Spinner
Mill Employee Start Date 1
1934
Mill Employee End Date 1
1964
Mill Employee Photo
Mill Employee Ethnic Identity
French Canadian
Mill Employee House Worship
Precious Blood Church
Biography Text

Orphir came from a St. Guillaume family of cheesemongers. In October 1922, Orphir and his wife of eight years, Celina "Lena" Rivard Joyal, left Yamasha for Woonsocket, RI. Together they had eleven children, five of whom were born in Canada. Orphir died at 83 in February 1975, 10 months after his 60th anniversary. 

Orphir and Celina were naturalized in 1928. In 1934, he began working at the Woonsocket Rayon Manufacturing Co as a spinner. His son Marcel is known to have worked alongside him before joining the U.S. Air Force. Many of his children fought for America, including Marie-Jeanne - his eldest child and a WWII WAC Warrant Officer- and Maurice - a decorated Korean War Veteran who tragically passed while stationed in Greece. Orphir built a family devoted to community and the local area. Orphir left a similar imprint on the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His memories of walking to the mill every morning, bailing his son Maurice (aka the Woonsocket Rocket) out for speeding, Red Sox fandom, and his habit of tripping his grandson Michael are well-recalled to this day.