Normand L. Bedard

Normand Bedard, 90, of Leominster, MA, and St. Petersburg, FL, died Monday, June 28, 2021, at home with his loving wife of 64 years by his side and surrounded by his 7 children.  “Norm” was born in Fitchburg, MA, on December 3, 1930, the son of Simeon and Ida (St. Germaine) Bedard.  The 9th of 10 children, Norm was predeceased by his 9 siblings: Georgiana Putnam, Irene Persson Joslin, Ernest, Rene, Francis, Rita Joslin, Raoul, Constance Chartrand, and Leon.

After graduating from Fitchburg Teacher’s College, he taught elementary school in Granby, MA.  He served his country honorably as an Army instructor at Ft. Benning, GA. Later, Norm earned an Electrical Engineering (EE) degree from WPI and a Master’s degree in EE from Northeastern University.  He worked for Raytheon for many years and then as a civil servant located at Hanscom Air Force Base.  Norm’s was a life of service: to his country, his church, and his family.  As a Fourth-Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, he chose to embrace the Order’s fourth principle of patriotism, the men who lead the efforts to reach out to veterans and active military and to embody the fact that one can be a faithful Catholic and also be a faithful citizen.  He happily served at church functions, volunteered at many church fairs, as an usher, and as a Eucharistic Minister, including taking Holy Communion to Veterans confined to the VA Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL. On election days, he and Doris volunteered as poll workers.

Norm met the love of his life, Marie “Doris” St. Jean, on a blind date in 1956 and they were married in Lunenburg, MA, in June, 1957.  They were blessed with seven children:  Paul (spouse Kathleen McCarthy), Fran (Sandy Bernier), Joan (Chris Young), Carol (Drew Colby), Mary (Anthony Hansen), Tom (Colleen Mason), and Terry (Chris Leger), as well as 20 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

Norm loved spending time with family, especially at the dinner table, where stories, anecdotes, and issues of the day were discussed. Attending camping trips, family reunions, and holiday gatherings brought him immense joy.  During the summer, he never went to a lake or ocean without diving in, regardless of water temperature. In the winter he spent Saturday preparing for and then took the entire family skiing, skating or sledding on Sundays. In later years, he most enjoyed visiting with his grandchildren and attending their special events.

Visitation will be on Thursday, July 1, 2021, from 4 - 7 PM at Richardson Funeral Home, 106 West Street, Leominster, MA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Holy Family of Nazareth, 750 Union St. Leominster MA. on Friday, July 2, 2021 at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Holy Family of Nazareth Church or The Normand and Doris Bedard Scholarship Fund at Assumption University, 500 Salisbury St. Worcester MA. 01609.

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