Normand Y. Charest, 93, departed this life on July 1. He was born on Feb. 16, 1930, in Bristol, Conn. He lived the last 30 years of his life in Jupiter, Fla., with the love of his life, Beatrice (Camire) Charest, married for 72 years on Sept. 2, 1950, at St. Ann Church.
Normand was the oldest son of the late Pierre and Jeannette (Bernard) Charest.
In addition to his wife Beatrice, Normand is survived by two daughters: Cathy A. Thompson of Seabrook, TX and Cori A. Mansour of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; a sister: Irene Palmer of San Diego, Calif.; five grandchildren: Thomas Markiewicz, Jr., Kimberly Dobbins, Amy Markiewicz, Evan Mansour, and Jordan Mansour; four great-grandchildren: Carys Markiewicz, Ava Markiewicz, Haven Dobbins, and Trystin Smith; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by siblings: Joseph and Roger Charest, Yvette Janick, and Florence Schilling.
Norm first enlisted in the Navy in June 1948. He served aboard the USS Manchester, arriving in Guantanamo Bay Cuba by November. He traveled to Greece, Turkey, Italy, and France. Headed back towards the USA, through the Panama Canal to Long Beach, Calif. Departed for Pearl Harbor, on to Tsingtro Bay, China. On to Okinawa, Manila and Korea.
He flew home on Christmas eve 1949 and asked Bea to marry him. He was discharged but recalled and served his country proudly in the United States Navy during the Korean War on an aircraft carrier, the USS Bennington.
A longtime Bristol resident, Norm worked for Pratt and Whitney until his retirement in 1986 and their move to Florida in 1993.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, July 8, at 10 a.m. at St. Gregory the Great Church, 235 Maltby St., Bristol. Burial, with military honors, will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bristol. Relatives and friends may call at Funk Funeral Home, 35 Bellevue Ave., Bristol on Saturday between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.
Please visit Normand’s memorial website at www.FunkFuneralHome.com.
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