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- Springfield Union, Massachusetts, Thursday, August 7, 1986
Gerald M. Bessette
CHICOPEE ? Gerald M. Bessette, 60, of 131 Shepard St., an agent and manager of commercial sales for the Hamelin Real Estate Co., died Tuesday in Holyoke Hospital. He formerly was a product manager for the Crosby Valve & Gage Co., Wrentham, and a cost estimator for Combustion Engineering Inc. A native of Holyoke and a graduate of Holyoke High School, he lived in the Williamnsett section of this city for 35 years. He was a Navy veteran of World War II. He leaves his wife of 26 years, the former Pearl Morton; two sons, William M. of Raymond County, Maine, and Gary W. of Chicopee; two daughters, Patricia J. Hanecak of Chicopee and Gail C. May of Windhendon Springs; two sisters, Jeanette Wynne of CHarlemont, Pa., and GLorida Ducharme of West Brookfield, and five grandchildren. The funeral will be tomorrow morning at St. Pierre Aldenville Funeral Home and in St. Rose de Lima Church with burial in St. Rose Cemetery.
Gerald Maurice Bessette obituary, Find-a-Grave
Gerald (Gerry) Maurice Bessette, son of Onesime and Aurore Bessette, was born July 29,1926 in Holyoke, Mass. Onesime, the third son of Antoine and Victoria (Robert), had married Aurore (Ora) Desilet on Valentines Day in 1925. Gerry was the oldest of three siblings. During the mid 30's Onesime built a home in Willimansett with the help of his father, a carpenter, and the family lived there until the depression decimated his business and he lost his home. The family then moved into a flat in Holyoke and it was there that Gerald grew into manhood. Prior to his entry into the U.S. Navy he was employed at the Springfield Armory as an inspector.
In August 1943, shortly after his 17th birthday, Gerry enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was initially posted to Sampson Naval Training Center for boot training after which he received further technical training in radio operations at the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Memphis, Tennessee. From there he received further flight combat training in Navy Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber operations at the Naval Air Station in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He was trained in both aerial gunnery and aviation radio operations. Upon completion of that training he was awarded Navy Airmen's Wings and promoted to Aviation Radioman 3rd Class Petty Officer, and while still only 17years old, was one of the Navy's youngest airmen at that time.
He then joined a Torpedo Bomber Squadron operating on the Aircraft Carrier USS Saratogo where he served with distinction for the remainder of the war. Gerry was released from active duty in 1946 and married Eileen Malone in 1947. Their son Michael was born the following year. They subsequently divorced and Gerry married Pearl Fortin with whom he had two additional children, Gary and Patricia. Gerry died at age 60 in 1986.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1926 - 1986 (60 years)