Cornell J. LeTourneau

Cornell J. LeTourneau, 94, of East Hartford, formerly of Manchester, husband of the late Bernice H. (Campbell) LeTourneau, died peacefully at his home on Sunday, May 13, 2012.

He was born in Greenfield, Mass., on Sept. 12, 1917, to Hector and Marian (McPherson) LeTourneau. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy at Great Lakes Naval Station, in Washington, D.C., and in the Asiatic Pacific. He then resided in Manchester and moved to East Hartford in the mid-1980s. Prior to retiring, he was employed for 54 years with Monroe The Calculator Co., and had also worked at the former Marlow's Department Store of Manchester. Cornell was a parishioner of Our Lady of Peace Church in East Hartford, the Retiree's Club, and the South End East Hartford Senior Center. He was a true "gentleman" with his dress and mannerisms, who treated everyone with respect and kindness. He was a highly skilled craftsman. The furniture and cabinets he built are visible in his home and the homes of his family. He was especially proud of his beautiful boat that he constructed back in the late 1950s that he used on Long Island Sound, and is still seaworthy today.

He is survived by his son and daughter, Cornell J. LeTourneau Jr. and his wife, Merrily, of Westfield, Vt., and Mary Anne Buckland and her husband, Robert, of Manchester; two grandchildren, Conor Buckland and his significant other, Elizabeth Mills, of Ledyard, and Rebecca Wallace, her husband, Brian; and great-granddaughter, Ella Brynn of Manchester; and a brother and sister, Reginald LeTourneau and Louise Wilkins, both of El Paso, Texas. He was also predeceased by his special friend, Stella Sartori of East Hartford.

His family would like to give special thanks to a very special Elizabeth Emanuel for her dedicated care and friendship to Cornell and his family. Also a thank you to the outstanding care of the hospice staff of East Hartford Masonicare.

A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated on Friday, May 18, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Peace Church, 370 May Road, East Hartford. Burial with military honors will follow in St. James Cemetery in Manchester. His family will receive friends in the vestibule of the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the Mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Masonicare Partners, 111 Founders Plaza, Suite 200, East Hartford, CT 06108; or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude's Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942.

The Holmes Funeral Home in Manchester has care of arrangements.

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