Normand C. Gagnon passed into eternity on June 11, 2024.
The son of Adolphe and Delvina Gagnon, Normand was born in Biddeford, Maine, on the first Father’s Day ever celebrated, June 15, 1930.
Normand worked at a newspaper store at age 11 to 15 during WWII. After high school, he began working at Liggetts Pharmacy on Main Street in Biddeford. He joined the Navy in January 1951 and was trained as a corpsman, eventually being stationed in Yokohama, Japan. He was commended by the captain of the hospital ship U.S.S. Haven for being assigned as a French interpreter for wounded French troops evacuated from Vietnam at the end of the French Indo-Chinese war. After the Navy, Normand obtained a two-year Industrial Electrical degree from M.V.T.I. He began a long career at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as a nuclear electrician, inspector and scheduler. After retirement he was a handyman for St. Andre’s Health Care Facility.
On April 2, 1956, he married Therese Paquette until her passing on November 6, 2022. Normand was a devout Catholic who was involved in a number of activities in the church, from the Maine Charismatic Choir to taking the family on religious retreats. Normand and Therese enjoyed traveling and were able to visit holy sites such as Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Holy Land. Besides attending daily Mass with Therese, Normand played the violin at St. Andre’s Church in Biddeford. A loving father, Normand was a “Jack of all trades” who helped every one of his sons and many others from general contractor for building a home to installing a ceiling fan. He would travel to Alabama to spend winters with his two youngest sons and their families. Normand and his wife’s side of the family built a large hotel-sized lake house on Sokokis Lake in Limerick, Maine. For decades the families enjoyed staying at “The Camp.”
Normand is predeceased in death by: his wife, Therese; and siblings, Joseph, George, Therese, Robert, Raymond, Muriel, Donald and Marcel.
He is survived by his sister, Georgette Dion. He is survived by sons, Fr. Daniel Gagnon, O.M.I. of Mexico City, James Gagnon (Lisa) of Kennebunk, Roger Gagnon (Shannon) of Falmouth, John Gagnon of Scarborough, Gary Gagnon (Laney) of Birmingham, Alabama, and Peter Gagnon (Sharon) of Hoover, Alabama. He is survived by 29 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
His beautiful witness to his faith will be greatly missed.
Visitation will be on Thursday, June 27 from 10a.m. to noon with Military Honors at noon at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St., Biddeford, ME 04005. A Catholic Mass will be held 1 p.m. at St. Joseph Church, 178 Elm St., Biddeford, ME 04005, with a reception following in the parish hall. Burial will be Monday, July 1 at 11 a.m. in St. Joseph Cemetery, 120 West St., Biddeford.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to EWTN, https://www.ewtn.com/missions/love-and-understanding-of-god-1
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