Holmes !

Cameron Holmes

1/5/17

Substance over Style: The Life of Normand Lionel Payette

Lying in his aged, beaten leather recliner in front of the television watching his beloved

Red Sox, he drifts in and out of slumber. What does he dream of? Does his mind shoot back to

past memories of a busy life? Maybe he is thinking about what time he will visit his

grandchildren? At one time this tired man, in this the quiet house never saw any down time. The

man who used to work 70 hours in a week, yet still had time for his family, now has all the time

in the world to himself. Time to visit his beloved children and grandchildren. Time to spend on

his favorite hobby; watching every Boston Red Sox game on television. However, before this

aging man had all this quietness to himself, endless amounts of time was spent on work, friends,

and most importantly family. Before he had more than enough time on his hands, time for him

was priceless. Throughout Normands life the key to happiness would be he time spent with his

family.

Normand Lionel Payette was born in the peaceful town of Woonsocket, Rhode Island on

October 10, 1935. He was the second child of Joseph Gratien Payette, and Angelina Lahousse.

Joseph was a stern yet caring cab company manager who was born to a farming family in

Sherbrooke, Canada in 1910. Joseph was born to Edouard & Delia Gervais Payette. He was the

15th of 18 children in this poor farming family. Josephs mother as well as four of his siblings

died from an influenza that spread throughout the country. Joseph soon moved to Woonsocket,

Rhode Island with his Aunt Albertine where she would raise him. He was a hemophiliac and had

to have monthly liver shots. He was unable to work labor jobs due to fear of cutting himself and
 Holmes !2

bleeding to death. When he was old enough, he became a chauffeur for a wealthy family near his

home, and while waiting outside a dance hall for the family he met his future wife, Angelia

Lahousse.

Angelia Lahousse was born in Newton, Massachusetts in 1912. She was a second-

generation immigrant from Lyon, France, and was born to a five-sibling family that lived on a

farm as well. Angelina was the oldest child of five to Levan and Angelia Masse Lahousse. She

had two brothers and two sisters. Her father, Levan, was born in Lyon, France. She was a

phenomenal cook and worked as a seamstress for Sydney Blumenthal Knitting Company. Joseph

and Angelina would meet at that dance hall and marry in 1931, and started their family of eight

children. Once married, Joseph took a job as a cab driver with Standard Cab Company in order

to provide for his family, and be close to them more often. He would spend his entire career at

Standard Cab and later become manager of the company.

With a father who worked as a cab driver seven days a week, and a mother who also

worked full time, it seemed impossible they would have time to have kids, however this was the

exact opposite. Normand was the second child of a seemingly tireless family. The first born was

his brother, Renee Payette, born in 1933. Renee was very humorous and was Normands best

friend from a very young age. After Normands birth in 1935, six others followed him. Roger, or

Peewee as he was called by his family was a quick-witted jokester born in 1937. His oldest sister,

Claire, who was very quiet and unable to speak until age 16, was born in 1939. The second of

four sisters Rita, a sweet but sassy lady was born in 1943. They were followed by a kept to

himself boy named Gerard in 1947. A loud and proud woman named Muriel followed in 1949,

and lastly Eileen who was also very humorous, in 1951. Unfortunately at birth, four of
 Holmes !3

Normand's siblings were born with Retinitis Pigmentosa.

This eye disease left them legally blind at a very young

age. At this time, the importance of family had just started

to mean something to Normand in his early years. He

probably didnt realize it yet, but his siblings would be the

greatest friends he would ever encounter in life.

Normand spent all of the free time he had with his

brothers and sisters. As a child, he did not have any great

friends, because his siblings were all he really had time

Normand with his parents
for. Normand and his siblings had many ways to pass the as well as Renee, Peewee,
and Claire
time. They played various games inside the house including

Insurance Office, where they would rearrange furniture and act as if though they were selling

insurance, and Putt where each sibling would take turns attempting to put a ball onto a blanket

tied to four bed posts with a bullseye. However, Normands favorite way to pass the time was on

the local baseball diamond. He fell in love with the game at a very young age. Normand spent

countless hours and days throughout his childhood playing with the neighborhood kids at the

local field. He and his brothers would attend in rain or shine to stay out of trouble and entertain

themselves. The diamond is where Normand not only acquired his nickname,Lefty, but his

passion for the game of baseball was ignited, a passion that would last throughout his entire life.

Normand first attended school at Sacred Heart as a child. Throughout his life he saw

education as a very valuable key to success. It was important to him even though neither of his

parents were ever able to reach high school. Though it was important to him, his memories
 Holmes !4

werent the fondest. One of Normands classmates named Donald was knocked out cold by his

teacher and expelled, simply for talking back to the teacher. Thankfully Normand never

experienced any discipline, however, he did encounter a problem equally as troublesome.

Normand had appendix problems throughout the course of high school and contracted

appendicitis during his junior year of high school in 1951. Appendicitis is an inflammation of the

appendix, a 3 1/2-inch-long tube of tissue that extends from the large intestine. Appendicitis is a

medical emergency which requires prompt surgery to remove the appendix. It occurs when the

appendix becomes blocked, often by stool, or a foreign body. Left untreated, an inflamed

appendix will eventually burst. This deeply upset him because he was forced out of school and

was held back a year, unable to graduate with his classmates. Luckily after the issue was

resolved. he resumed his education the following year at Mt. Saint Charles Academy, an all-male

Catholic school in Woonsocket. Normand would graduate high school a little over two years later

in 1953, the first to do so in his family. He was not quite sure what his plans were after however,

he was just proud of the accomplishment.

When Normand first left school, he thought that he was destined to become a priest, but

that vision changed very quickly. He went to a seminar for over two weeks where he would learn

how to become a priest, and the skills that were required. He soon left, realizing that it wasnt the

life for him. He soon after applied to work at United Public, a grocery store in his home town.

When he first started working at a grocery store in 1953, it was the beginning of a lifelong career

that he didnt realize he had just started. Normand would live at home and work at United Public

over the course of the next two years. That was until his good friend Donald Ledoux, a mentally
 Holmes !5

challenged childhood friend who loved baseball introduced Normand to his cousin from Maine,

Marilyn.

Donald insisted that Normand come up to Maine with him to meet his cousins. Donald

originally set Normand up with his cousin Shirley, Marilyns sister. However after a couple of

visits, Normand had his heart set on the sweet, kind, and beautiful Marilyn. Marilyn Helena

Ledue was born on June 10, 1935. She was born in the town of Fall River, Massachusetts, and

moved to Portland, Maine at the ago of two. She was

the fourth child of Byron, and Hildegard Johnson

Ledue. Byron was a fun-loving roofing salesman of

French-Canadian descent who invented a famous

roofing style system in detail, but failed to patent it and

lost millions because of it. Hildegard was born in

Helsinki, Finland in 1899 and came to Maine at the age

of 8. She was a strong-willed woman who crocheted

doilies and tablecloths for a living, even though she

was diagnosed with diabetes in her early twenties and

Normand and his wife Marylin at
their wedding in 1957 lost just about all of here eyesight. A few well written

love letters later, Normand and Marilyn were married on June 22nd, 1957 at the Lafayette Hotel

in Portland, Maine.

Normand left Rhode Island at age 22 to move up to Maine with his newly-wed wife

Marilyn. Even though this was a great time for two of them, Normand would have to find a new

job and Marilyn would have to keep close contact with her recently widowed and blind mother.
 Holmes !6

They couple found a small house on Dean Street in Portland and started their life together.

Normand soon set off to find new work in the nearby area.

Normand first sought out for work at 20th Century Market, a nearby grocery store. He

obtained this job despite the fact he nearly walked out of the job interview because the manager

wasnt willing to pay him what he requested. Frustrated, Normand thanked him for his time and

began to walk out. At just that moment, the manager respected Normands persistence and

offered him the job at the pay he requested. It was here he not only worked for five years, but

met two lifelong friends in Wilbur Wildes, and Ray Quattrucci. Wilbur was the Nissan bread man

for 20th century market, and Ray was a fellow worker on the floor. Even though Normand soon

left 20th century market for Martins Foods, the friendships he kindled there would end up lasting

him forever.

The importance of family for Normand continued to grow when he and his wife Marilyn

had their first of four children in 1958 when Diane was born. Diane was followed by Donna in

1961, Denise in 1963, and the lone son Joseph in 1967. Normand loved his family more than

anything else in his life. He often worked twelve hour days during the week, but that never

stopped him from spending time with his family as he often drove them to Rapid Rays late at

night, knowing he had to be up for work at 4am. Whenever he got the chance, he would bring his

family for long late night drives. Normand would bring his children sliding in Payson Park, and

have endless cookouts in the summer at the beach.

Normand may not have had a lot of time on his hands, but when he did he spent it well.

He was beloved by his children. Donna says, Normand did not lead an exciting life, but a

simple one and though I believe he had hopes and dreams beyond what he was able to achieve
 Holmes !7

work wise, he was able to provide a very happy life for us growing up. This was so much more

important than other things. What ever we wanted he worked to make it happen. He could not

have been a better father (Bandar). His daughter Denise also added, He led by example. He

was hard-working, loyal, accountable, and he always expected nothing but the best from us. He

taught us to work for what we want because it wont fall in our lap. He always spoke his mind,

and never would lie to anyone (Holmes). He may have worked a lot and may have had a lot of

reason for complaint, but that wouldnt stop him from providing for his family whenever they

needed it. This is because a happy family is all Normand ever would really need in life to make

himself happy.

In 1974 Normand accepted a job as a produce inspector from Hannaford. This newly

accepted position allowed him to move his

family to Pennsylvania Avenue in South

Portland, Maine, a house right down the street

from the Wildes family. The Payettes would

forever stay close with the Wildes family.

Normand would bring his family on camping

trips to North Conway with the Wildes family

for two weeks every July. Normand and

Marilyn would go out to dinner every

Normand with friends Wilbur Wildes, and
Terry Macmillan
Saturday night with Wilbur and his wife

Barbara for many years. Once a month they would invite the Wildes and other close families for

dinner and card games. Normand would even attempt so start an apple business with Wilbur that
 Holmes !8

never quite panned out. He was also in a bowling league with Wilbur, however this was only the

beginning of Normands passions.

Normand was a man of many passions. He had an ever-lasting love for dogs. They were

another joyful addition to the family to him. The names of his furry best friends were Blackie,

Shane, Barney, and Yaz. He loved each and everyone one of them, and each held a special place.

Blackie was a cocker spaniel that Normand and Marylin had when they were first married. Shane

was a rust colored cocker spaniel and was the first dog the kids ever spent time with. The giant

St. Bernard named Barney would sleep on top of

Normand and watch baseball games with him. Barney

even pulled the children on sleds in the winter time. The

last was a trouble making Shepherd-Husky mix named

Yaz, after his favorite baseball player Carl Yastrzemski.

For Normand, dogs were much more than animals, they

were an extension of the family. Normand had other

passions that included renovating his house by replacing

paneling, tiles, or furniture. However, other than his

family, none of his passions would match the burning Normands beloved Shepherd-Husky
mix named Yaz
love he has for the Boston Red Sox.

Some people consider themselves die-hard Red Sox fans, but Normands passion was

arguably unmatched. He is a long-time season ticket holder with his friend Don Ricker. He

attended as many of the eighty home games they played each year as he could. The games that he

was forced to miss, he could be found in front of the television with his TV tray and dinner
 Holmes !9

watching the game while spending time with his beloved family. Normand may have worked a

lot, but there were two things he always had time for; his family, and the Red Sox. He was in

love with the sport so much, Normand coached several mens league fast-pitch softball teams,

and little league teams throughout his adult life. A former player of Normands Mike Boucher

said, From the minute Mr. Payette started coaching me I could tell he had a different approach

from the rest of the coaches. Enthusiasm was always very high and encouragement was always

plentiful. Whether it was a practice in 40 degree weather with the sun going down or an

important playoff game, Mr. Payette never stopped smiling and shouting words of

encouragement to his players. There was no way a player of his could go to sleep with him

coaching a team. He'd yell in an encouraging way, and then turn to his assistant coaches and

always seem to laugh like a kid. He was always a little kid deep inside around a baseball

field (Bandar). Normand would take this love of the game to a new level on August 9th of 1973,

when he four of his friends made the decision to walk to Fenway Park in Boston all the way from

South Portland, Maine.

Normand accompanied with Dave McHugh, Wilbur Wildes, Jesse Cook, and Gee Erskine

walked from Normans home in South Portland to

Fenway Park 108 miles away. The group did this

in a charity effort to raise $17,000 dollars for the

Jimmy Fund cancer research foundation. The

group was followed by a large Winnebago that

was used for a sleeping quarters each night that

they stopped. When they finally arrived in Boston

A hand-made poster containing many
of Normands Red Sox tickets.
 Holmes !10

after their five day journey, they were rewarded with a free dinner at a steakhouse, as well as a

meet and greet with Governor Kenneth Curtis of Maine. Normand got to throw out the first pitch

of the game as well. The group was also rewarded with a banquet where they would meet many

Red Sox legends such as Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice,

and Fred Lynn. Meeting all of the players Normand spent much of his life watching on TV and at

games, was a dream come true for him.

Normands hard working and tireless demeanor was put on a permanent hold on March

6th of 1997. Normands neighbor Doug Allen would find him hunched over his snow blower

during a powerful blizzard. While snow blowing his driveway during this powerful blizzard

Normand was struck with a sudden heart attack and rushed to the hospital immediately. Here he

would soon have a heart bypass surgery to save his life. This incident forced Normand into

retirement and brought his life to a screeching halt. The hard working man from a tireless family

who had worked over twelve hours a day for his entire life, now had no choice but to relax. This

was very hard on Normand, as it wasn't anything like he had ever experienced in his life. It may

have been tiresome, but he didnt mind it because he knew he was getting the most out of his life.

Over the years Normands hearing began to deteriorate, which was very hard on his wife

Marilyn. The two loved each other as much as a couple possibly could, but being around each

other 24 hours a day was beginning to wear both of them.

Marilyn had been battling cancer for ten years now and soon another blow to her health

would come. She was diagnosed with a 2nd breast cancer ten years to the day of her first one.

Normand would take this in stride and come home each lunch hour from work to tend to her. He

sometimes carried her in and out of the bathroom as she was too weak to walk. Another five
 Holmes !11

short years later more cancer crept into Marilyns life. This one ultimately lead to a hip break,

and hip replacement surgery. Later came hip removal surgery due to sepsis. Ultimately, she

ended up having to live in a nursing home for the last years of her life, much against Normands

hopes, but he simply could not care for her properly. He would visit her multiple times a day

throughout the course of her time there.

In July of 2013 her body could take no more. All of the cancers and hip replacements

finally caught up to her, and she would pass away at the age of 78. Two days before her funeral,

Normand was rushed to the hospital. It was discovered that he had a completely blocked bowel.

He was not able to attend the funeral or the wake of his longtime beloved wife. This devastated

Normand, as he was left unable to say goodbye to the person he spent all of his adult life with.

Through the good, the bad, and the ugly the two showed tremendous commitment and were

married for over 55 years. They may have had their tough times, but their is no other person

Normand would have rather spent his life with.

In fall of 2014 Normand suffered another blow when it was discovered he had a brain

hemorrhage. Once it was found he was immediately rushed to the hospital and doctors believed

there was no way he would survive the night. His family rushed to his side in fear of the worst,

however, in Normand fashion he beat the odds. With his family by his side he wouldnt go down

that easy. After surviving the night he quickly recovered. A short stay in the hospital was

followed by several months in a nursing home. Barring some minimal memory loss, he was back

to normal before anyone knew it. The man who was knocking on deaths door yet again, was

living by himself under his own power, just like he had done time and again throughout his life.
 Holmes !12

All of Normands siblings live in Rhode Island. Rene and Rita are the two that have

passed away. Peewee has three kids, Deb, Jimmy, Chris, and still lives in Woonsocket with his

wife Jackie, and works at his best friend Kays restaurant. Claire has three daughters, Beverly,

Brenda, Bonnie and still resides in Woonsocket as well. Muriel and her husband John have had

three children that live close by, Jessica, John, Justin, and she is in Woonsocket as well. Gerard,

also in Woonsocket works on cars, and had one son named Gerry. Lilabee owns a flower shop

and resides in Woonsocket with her husband Richard, and had two children, Angela and Jason.

Normands children visit him frequently as they live very close by. Diane married Dennis

Elvin and had four children, Heidi, Angie, Hillary, and Ethan. Diane currently lives in Gray,

Maine with her husband and her youngest son. She worked as a student-teacher at her childrens

school, but is now retired. Donna married John Bandar and lives in Stoneham, Massachusetts.

She and her husband work as real estate investors and developers. Denise married Leonard

Holmes whom she later divorced. She now lives in Gorham with her two children Cameron and

Mackenzie. She works as a purchasing agent for MEGA Industries LLC. Joseph still resides with

Normand at his home on Pennsylvania Avenue. Joseph is an employee at Hannaford.

When hes not watching his favorite sports teams on television, Normand spends his

days being as productive as he can. This includes visiting 6 grandchildren, Heidi, Angie, Hillary,

Cameron, Ethan, and Mackenzie, as well as seeing 9 great-grandchildren, Tirzah, Hallie, Aliza,

Ephraim, Hosanna, Seth, Malachi, Manasseh, and Anna frequently. He drives around to pay a

visit to at least one of his grandchildren every week. He also plays cribbage five days a week

with a group of old friends he organized over 17 years ago at the local recreation center. This

keeps him occupied because all he ever really needed in life is his family and friends.
 Holmes !13

Normand has been to hell and back.

He's survived three aneurysm surgeries, a

bypass surgery, blocked bowel surgery, and

a brain hemorrhage operation. Yet, he

refuses to slow down. Creeping past the 81-

year mark, he is a bit slower, but is still

always out and about. Donna his daughter

Normand with his wife Marilyn and
is still in awe of him. She says, He always made us
grand-children Cameron, and
Mackenzie
feel as though we were rich, we never felt as though

we needed anything because we had all we needed. He is such a kind and generous man. He

would do for everyone before himself. In his elder years I think he is finding great difficulty in

not being able to do things that he used to or afford things that he once could or shower everyone

with gifts (Bandar). Normand took substantial pride from being able to provide for his family

and making sure they had anything there heart desired. One other humorous hobby of Normand

may best summarize what he is all about. Normand love to find a bargain buy, whether it was

something anyone needed or not. Whether it was purchasing a box of softballs for $1.99 or some

other curious odd's and end. He loved to go to the closet and share his treasure find with family

and friends who were visiting. Family would chuckle at his latest buy and graciously accept his

bargain purchase. However, for Normand these unexpected gifts he could hand out to his family

and friends epitomized what matter the most to him in life. The chance to bring a smile to the

people he cared most about in life for this what brought him true joy. Through it all, Normands
 Holmes !14

passionate desire to provide for others and his tireless demeanor has got him the most out of life,

and it always will.

 Holmes !15

Works Cited

"Appendicitis Symptoms, Causes, Surgery, and Recovery." WebMD. WebMD, 2017. Web. 08

Jan. 2017. <http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-

appendicitis#1>.

Bandar, Donna. Normand Payette Biography Interview. Personal Interview. 9 Dec. 2016.

Holmes, Denise. Normand Payette Biography Interview. Personal Interview. 14 Dec. 2016.

Payette, Normand. Normand Payette Biography Interview. Personal interview. 2 Dec. 2016.