Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, but Edward Rainville Sr. provided solace to countless families that turned to him when it was time to make funeral arrangements.

For nearly a half-century, Rainville ran the Rainville Brothers Funeral Chapel, a business started by his father, Noble, that dated to the 1880s. He ran the chapel, which once was part of a large furniture store on E. Hennepin Avenue, with two of his brothers in the 1940s and became the sole owner in the 1950s. He earned his funeral director's license in 1956, and was one of the longest license-holding funeral directors in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. He sold the business in 2003.

"When his father ran the business, he always provided an opportunity to give an appropriate goodbye to a loved one," even if they could not pay, said Rainville's grandson Joel. "My grandfather kept that alive. He liked helping families in their time of need."

Edward Rainville Sr. died of a cancer-related illness Tuesday at North Memorial Residential Hospice in Brooklyn Center. He was 88.

The youngest of eight children, he attended Our Lady of Lourdes School in his hometown of Minneapolis. As a Marine, he served in the South Pacific during World War II, reaching the rank of master technical sergeant.

Early in his career, he operated a bar and dance hall called King's Court on Hwy. 65 in Blaine, but spent most of his time working at the funeral home. He arranged funerals for many families who lived in southeast Minneapolis, his grandson said.

Rainville was a longtime member of the East Minneapolis Exchange Club and a major supporter of the annual Northeast Minneapolis Parade.

Rainville Sr. enjoyed pheasant hunting, fishing, and getting together with friends and family. He was a loquacious fellow who was "constantly celebrating life and being alive," former Hennepin County Board member John Derus said of his uncle and godfather.

He is survived by his wife, Audrey; a son, Edward Jr.; four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. today at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, 1203 SE. 5th St., Minneapolis. Visitation will be held one hour before services at the church.