Obituary
Normand Wilfred Gagnon of Port Orange, Florida, formerly of Pawtucket, RI. passed peacefully at his home on January 1st, 2021 at the age of 96.
He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Jacqueline (Jackie) Gagnon; Loving father to daughter Louise Gagnon of Port Orange, FL.; son Richard Gagnon and his wife Laura of St. Johnsbury, VT.; daughter Suzanne Gagnon and partner Eric Eversley of Gleneden Beach, OR; and son Paul Gagnon and his wife Donna of Sandwich, MA; Poppa to grandchildren Kelly Houston (Chris), Michael Gagnon, Patrick Gagnon (Kim), Kala Ihas (Ben), Evan Cyganiewicz, and Amanda, Michelle, Olivia, Lucas and Owen Gagnon; great grandfather to Hailey and Will Houston, Madeline and Jacob Ihas, and Logan Jordan.
Mr. Gagnon was raised in Pawtucket, RI where he lived until moving to Florida in 1984. A graduate of Sacred Heart Academy in Central Falls, RI, he joined the Navy in 1942. He served aboard the USS Livermore (DD-429), a destroyer involved in convoy duty during the battle of the Atlantic in WWII, invasion of Anzio and the North African invasion followed by a short period of battle in the Pacific after the end of the war in Europe.
After WWII, Mr. Gagnon, affectionately referred to as ‘Stormin’ Normin’”, returned to Pawtucket and worked for Mother’s Box Lunch, a catering service, owned Benefit Paint and Hardware and eventually began a 25 year career in sales for Ward Baking Company of Providence. In 1981, he retired and worked for the City of Pawtucket, initially at the Slater Park Memorial Zoo, then at McCoy Stadium on loan to the Pawsox, and finally as a carpenter in the City of Pawtucket.
In 1994, the Gagnons retired to Port Orange, FL. Many friends were made through his membership at the VFW Post in Port Orange as he spent many hours volunteering as handyman for the Post. They enjoyed many trips with their Florida friends, as well as many trips to New England and Colorado to visit with family and friends.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Condolences may be shared with the family by visiting www.baldwincremation.com
I will be especially missing your presence when I next buy a car, my first in 72 years without you. I can only hope to put to use the car buying skills I've learned over the years without the sweating (LOL)!!
You will be very much missed during this our first holiday season without your fun-loving personality and spirit.
Thanks for being my Dad. You are sadly missed. And rest assured, Mom is being very well taken care of. But you probably know that and are keeping watch.
I love you always, Louise
I was visiting my grandparents in Rhode Island. It was early in the morning and Grandpa came over to me and asked "Hey, are you ready to have some fun today?". My grandparents then took me and my sister Kala to the Rocky Point Amusement Park. We had such fun on the rides, and Grandpa made sure to get us the famous clam chowder and clam cakes. Man, what a treat! Grandpa always seemed to be laughing and telling stories and he was interested in what I was up to and how things were going for me. Another time, when I was visiting in FL, he was driving me around in his new Lincoln (he did love his cars!), stepped on the gas, and the car took off. I felt like the car was flying! He saw the smile on my face, sped up again, and said "Yes, Evan this car DOES fly!!" while laughing uproariously. It was a memory he and I then shared almost every time we saw each other. And it would set us to laughing again! My Grandpa was always quick to make me feel welcome and loved, and he was generous with his time, conversation and laughter. I miss him, but I am thankful for all the nice memories I have of him. He was a great man.
Love Evan
• Laughter, teasing, jokes, general craziness, NOISE. Sounds of a life lived out loud. Ever-reverberating in my head, usually bringing a smile to my face
• He didn’t have much time for the kitchen, but when he did – oh, he made delicious breakfast crepes, tasty lobster/chicken/ham salad sandwiches, and was the burger griller.
• Toasting life with a daily “coalition”, or three
• Wrapping Mom up in his arms, patting her derriere, and proclaiming her the only one for him
• That beautiful hair! And he allowed his girls to “style” it for him while nodding off in his recliner
• Washing and waxing his car
• Smoking his cigars and pipes, leaving a smoke ring on the ceiling above his command post, and the ever-present stand ashtray
• After he quit smoking, he would retell the laudable story of how he quit, cold
• In his workshop, working on projects big and small, purposefully or just puttering
• Sunday drives, sometimes to A&W for car hop service!
• Getting on ladders, eradicating squirrels and bats, mowing the lawn, trimming hedges
• My escort to Father-Daughter dances
• Duckpin bowling on holidays after dinner
• Going to Newport Creamery or Bliss Dairy
• Eating wieners and drinking coffee cabinets
• Trudging down Suffolk Ave to Newport Ave, in the wee hours, to catch a ride to work during snowstorms
• Working magic at a car lot
• Asking us kids to “come to the basement” when we got in trouble
• Hearing his repetition of a favorite saying “You can’t BS a BSer”
• Piles of change on his dresser, which I loved to count
• Helping him review and reconcile his weekly sales tallies for Ward Baking Co
• Going on weekend road trips to NE resort towns, everyone jammed into 1 car (pre-seatbelt era)
• Exploring CO towns on his visits
• Welcoming each grandchild as they joined the family
• Showing his love for his family and showering them with hugs and kisses.
The life Dad built was one to be proud of, especially as he faced a lot of trials in his early life. He was a tenacious man, and he gave his all to everything he did. He provided well for his family.
Dad, you have earned your rest. We’ll always miss you, but what you left behind is priceless - the unshakeable knowledge that you loved us. Thanks for that.
Love back at you, Sue