Jean (John) R. LaChance, 87, of Wethersfield, loving husband of Alice (Gagne), entered peacefully into eternal rest June 26, 2011, in the comfort of his home with his beloved family by his side. Born on December 25, 1923 in St. Evariste Canada, son of the late Joseph and Mary (Samson) LaChance, John moved to Hartford with his family at the age of 13. He worked as a foreman and then superintendant in the assembly division of Royal Typewriter in Hartford. for 33 years. During those years, he went to Leicester and Kingston-Upon-Hull, England as a consultant for Imperial Typewriter, a division of Royal. His family later joined him and they spent many happy times traveling through Amsterdam, Holland, Paris and Italy. He was also one of the early employees of Trumpf North America and after eight years he was their first retiree. Upon retirement he worked part time for the Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home for many years. John proudly served his country in the Army Air Corp during World War II for three years, as crew chief on a C-47 Aircraft in Libya, Italy, Normandy, France, Belgium and the Rhineland, including "Hitlers Last Stand." John had a fierce passion for family, woodworking, gardening, golf and the Red Sox. He and his wife enjoyed many happy years of dancing together with their dance club friends and travelling together. He loved working with his hands in his basement workshop and we will always treasure the beautiful bird houses he so meticulously constructed. Besides his wife of 64 years, he leaves his two daughters, Simone and her husband Ed Jones of Rocky Hill, Linda and her husband Michael Calli of Glastonbury, a sister, Doris and her husband George Dean., and a bother-in-law, John Ouellette. He was predeceased by his older brother Victor and sister Madeleine. John leaves countless other family and friends.
The funeral will be Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 9:15 a.m. from The Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home, 1276 Berlin Tpke. Wethersfield, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial, 10 a.m. in Corpus Christi Church, 601 Silas Deane Hwy., Wethersfield. Burial with full military honors will be in the Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. Friends may call TODAY, 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home. Contributions in his memory may be made to: Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center, 85 Retreat Ave., Hartford, CT 06106-2555. To share a memory with the family, please visit, www.dillonbaxter.com.