Norman Lemieux
October 16, 1918 - January 22, 2010
Norman Lemieux, 91 of The Villages, FL died on Friday, January 22, 2010. He was born in New Bedford, MA and moved to The Villages from Alexandria, VA in 2006.
He was a Lt. Commander in the US Navy, a WWII Veteran, serving in the Pacific. He retired from the Navy in 1964 and worked for General Dynamics, Naval Surface Weapon Center, Port Hueneme, CA Division and as a consultant with JHU/APL. He was an avid golfer.
A significant duty for Lt. Commander Lemieux was aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Wasp CV 7, which began in 1940. During an operation in the Pacific on September 15, 1942, torpedoes, fired from a Japanese submarine, were launched at the Wasp and exploded near gas tanks and ammunition magazines. The ammunition exploded and an order was given to abandon the burning ship. The survivors were rescued by the USS Duncan after spending many hours in the oily burning water. After they were rescued the crew was briefed on how to cope with depth charges and to swim in burning water. He spent the rest of WWII serving on board USS Essex CV-9 and USS Bon Homme Richard CV-31. He also served on several other Navy ships prior to his retirement in 1964.
He is survived by his wife Mary Ann, The Villages; daughters Norma DeBill, Asheville, NC, Susie Brookshire, Cumming, GA; sisters, Doris Garrison, Peoria, AZ; Rita St. Aubin, Newberry Park, CA; Teresa Fowler Mary Ester FL; four grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, February 25, 2010 at Beyers Funeral Home & Crematory, Lady Lake, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the U. S. Naval Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 123, Washington, DC 20004.