Gerald J. Parent

1927 - 2022

Gerald J Parent of Windsor, CT, age 95, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. He was born on July 13, 1927, in Hamlin, ME, the son of the late Benjamin and Marie (Marquis) Parent. Gerald was a man of many talents and interests. He helped build his father's home in Maine without formal carpentry or construction training. In 1953, Gerald joined the United States Army. One summer, he impressed his commanding officer by making an air cooling system out of refrigerator parts for the office. Again, with no formal education, Gerald learned how to manufacture metal parts in a local machine shop. He often recounted that he landed his position by watching a machinist run the job and then replicating what he saw to one-thousandths of an inch. This trade was how he made his livelihood up until his retirement. He was known for his green thumb, often growing the most enormous and tastiest tomatoes in his neighborhood every summer. Gerald knew the best places along the Connecticut River to pick fiddlehead and even built himself a special work area and tools to clean and prep this seasonal delicacy for his family and friends. In his retirement years, Gerald loved cruising to island getaways with his wife, watching and rooting for the men's and women's UConn Huskey basketball teams, playing cribbage, and, most importantly, spending time with his family. Gerald is survived by his two daughters Peggy J. Valliere and her husband, Donald of South Windsor, CT; Wanda L. Parent of Windsor, CT; several sisters-in-law, many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. Gerald was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Rowena (Bernier), sisters Cecile Fortin, Rose Martin, Germaine Charette, Theresa Levesque, and Marcella Parent, and brothers Adrienne, Channel, Rene, and Ferdinand, as well as countless of other loved ones. Private funeral services will be held at a later date. Gerald's family would like to express their sincere appreciation for the warm, compassionate care given to him by the entire team at VA Home Based Primary Care and Masonicare Home Health and Hospice. Many thanks to Marzena, Gail, Katie, and the many nurses led by Dina. A special thank you to Westher and Pathona (Pat) for the loving care they provided Gerald throughout their time with him.