Obituary of Raoul Aldo Donnet

Raoul Aldo Donnet, age 62, passed away on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at Rehab at River’s Edge in Raritan, NJ.  Born in Switzerland, he grew up in the small town of Muraz (V.S.) in the French-speaking area of Switzerland and moved to the United States on May 15, 1997. He was a resident of North Plainfield, NJ, for over 17 years, before moving to Manville, NJ.

Raoul was a man of simple pleasures. He loved nothing more than a good piece of cheese, a pack of cigarettes, and a cozy cat to curl up with. From a young age, as any proud Swiss, he knew that his life's passion was cheese. Even when his doctor recommended that he not eat as much cheese, he could not find it in his heart to do so.

In Switzerland, Raoul was a graduate of a cheese-making school, and in his youth, Raoul worked tirelessly as a cheesemaker, tending to his cows with love and care for many years. He knew that happy cows produced the best milk, which in turn made the best cheese. From early dawn to late dusk, his days were spent milking the cows, crafting the cheese, and perfecting his craft. But he always found time to sneak away for a cigarette break, and his beloved cats would often join him.

Raoul was also passionate about art and the art world was also an art school graduate and continued sketching and painting landscapes throughout his life with a zest that he never lost.

As was required of many youths in Switzerland, Raoul served as a cook in the Swiss army for 3 years. He always recounted many tales from this time in his life, and it was also where he discovered his immense love of cooking.

Prior to retiring in the United States, he worked for Fiabila USA for over 8 years and had many years of experience in the nail polish industry, creating and making a variety of nail polishes for many well-known brands such as OPI and Essie. He also enjoyed working on the weekends as a very meticulous and adept house painter.

In his spare time, he adored music, and in his younger days, he attended many classic rock concerts of many well-known artists, such as the Who, Supertramp, Jimi Hendrix, etc. He even had the chance to meet some of his musical idols, and he was always the life of the party, smoking every drug under the rainbow.

But Raoul's love of cheese and family was only matched by his love of travel and adventure, and as a man of many talents, one of his greatest passions was also Spanish. Because of this, Raoul traveled extensively on foot in South America, hiking and backpacking all over the continent, always in search of new cheeses to try and new people to meet. He loved the language and the culture, and he could often be found dancing and singing to Spanish music. With friends in every corner of the globe, and he loved nothing more than swapping stories over a glass of wine.

Despite his many adventures and busy life, Raoul always returned home to his beloved Cecilia and her children, Pablo and Virginia, and his furry feline friends. He adored them all and loved nothing more than spending time with them, and they often had family picnics in the Swiss Alps, with Raoul always bringing along his favorite cheeses, cured and smoked meats, and of course, bottles of wine. 

He also had a great love and respect for all animals but had a special place in his heart for cats, dogs, and cows, and had a special talent for earning the trust of all creatures, large and small.

For Raoul, life was simple, but it was full of love, laughter, and endless possibilities. He knew that in life, finding happiness was effortless if you know where to look, and for him, there was nothing better than a warm fire, good company, a good piece of cheese, delectable wine, and a cozy cat to curl up with. 

He is survived by his loving wife, Cecilia Donnet, and her children, Virginia Chenot and her husband Damien, and Pablo Pais; his sister, Daisey Berlie and her husband Pierre; nieces and nephews, Christelle, Michael, Cristel Berlie-Rossier, Nicolas Schers-Berlie, Gaele Donnet and her boyfriend Gregory, Tiffany and Steven Deppierraz-Donnet; and his great-nieces and great-nephews: Charlotte and Romane, Theo, Nolan, Shanna, and Lya.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, May 26, 2019, from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, NJ.  A Memorial Service will be held at 4:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Cremation was held privately.