Doris B. Brais

Lincoln – Doris B. (Audette) Brais of Colonial Drive died Friday, April 22, 2022, at the age of 99. 

Born in Central Falls in 1922, Doris was the ninth and last surviving child of the late Frederick and Evangeline (Poulin) Audette’s eleven children. She married her soulmate, George Z. Brais, in 1948 and carried him in her heart since his passing in 1999. Doris and George built their home in Lincoln in 1958, and Doris lived there for the rest of her life. This was and is home for seven close-knit children. For the final decade of Doris’s life, her son John lived with her and served as her cribbage partner, her tireless gardener, her caregiver, and her best buddy and faithful companion.

Deep faith and strong moral convictions informed every aspect of Doris’s life. She cherished each day of the 99 years of her life, and she particularly looked forward to hosting large family get-togethers and spending a week each summer in Little Compton with her children and their families. 

Doris tended her beloved garden with the same vigor with which she cared for her children, her grandchildren, her siblings, and her in-laws. She loved to sing and play the organ, and she was always eager to compete on both the ping-pong and card tables. Doris embraced civic responsibility, and she was an active member of the Lincoln Conservation Commission. the Lincoln Garden Club, the Lincoln Council on the Arts, and many other organizations. She also sang as a member of the Vocal Arts Society, served for many years as a docent at the Rhode Island Veterans Auditorium, and was always eager to engage in a lively political discussion. 

Doris maintained a love of learning for her entire life and constantly worked to strengthen her mind and her character. Until well into her 90’s she took many courses as part of the Brown Community of Learning in Retirement (BCLIR). At home, she read the Wall Street Journal cover-to-cover each day, and constantly read books to deepen both her knowledge and her faith. She particularly embraced the philosophy and teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and named one of her sons after him.

Doris left a lasting impression on all who knew her. Her passion for her family, for her beliefs, and for life will be carried on through her loving family. For her children and grandchildren, she was a role model for how to live a purposeful and joyful life. She will be dearly missed.

She is survived by two daughters, Elaine B. Galvin and her husband John, of Providence, and Janet Brais Gascoigne of Watertown, Mass.; five sons, George F. Brais and his wife Betty, of Lincoln, Donald E. Brais and his wife Joanne, of Tiverton, Robert E. Brais and his fiancée Joyce McMahon, of Beverly, Mass., Thomas A. Brais and his wife Miko, of Lexington, Mass., and John L. Brais, of Lincoln; her fourteen grandchildren, Liz, David, Johnny, Matt, Mike, Lauren, Katie, Kerry, Sarah, Hanako, Will, Tomo, James, and Erica; five great-grandchildren, Mason, Violet, Max, Jacob, and Margaret; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Helen Poulin, Cecile Gagnon, Roland Audette, Theresa Silvia, Evelyn Jannell, Florence Marcotte, Gerard Audette, Lucille Brassard, Maurice Audette, and Roger Audette.

Her funeral will be held Monday, May 2, 2022 at 8:45 am from Bellows Funeral Chapel, 160 River Road, Lincoln with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am at St. Jude Church, 301 Front Street, Lincoln. Burial will follow in Resurrection Cemetery, Cumberland. Relatives and friends are invited, and may also call on Sunday from 3:00-6:00 pm. The family kindly requests the use of masks at both the Funeral Chapel and during the Funeral Mass.  In lieu of flowers, contributions in Doris’s memory to World Central Kitchen (currently feeding refugees at the Ukraine/Polish border) would be appreciated. Their website is www.wck.org .  For directions and a guest book, please visit www.bellowsfuneralchapel.com.