Gerard J. A. Quintin, Sr, 95, formerly of Bristol, for 65 years, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 27. For the past 1.5 years, he and his wife Violet lived with their daughter Linda and son-in-law Bob in Old Saybrook. Jerry, as he was lovingly called, was born in 1928 in Sanford, Maine, son of the late Edmond and Clara (Bruneau) Quintin.
Jerry grew up on a farm in Maine and enjoyed sharing stories about his childhood. The life lessons from the farm impacted the way he lived his life, with a concern and appreciation for conservation as well as a strong work ethic. At 17 years old, toward the end of World War II, Jerry joined the U.S. Navy and served overseas in London, Morocco, and many other places. Fluent in French, one of his many jobs was being an interpreter for American soldiers. After WWII, Jerry met and married the love of his life, Violet (Lambert) Quintin, to whom he had been married to for 72 years.
Jerry’s favorite pastime was spending countless hours in his boat catching both fresh and saltwater fish. He also enjoyed gardening and had a green thumb, growing many crops over the years, with a special affinity for tomatoes.
Two other hobbies he enjoyed were playing pool with his friends at the Senior Center and watching sports. To that end, Jerry was an avid New England Patriots fan for decades, even when they were still the Boston Patriots. He also was a Red Sox fan.
Besides his wife, Jerry is survived by his daughter Linda Carpenter and husband Robert of Old Saybrook; daughter-in-law Patricia Quintin of N.J.; grandchildren Anne Quintin and fiancée Christopher Andrews of NJ, Lauren Carpenter-Martinez and husband Garrett of Madison, Michael and fiancée Elizabeth Schumacher of Old Saybrook; great-grandchildren Ellie and Dylan; and several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his son Gerard J.A. Quintin, Jr. and siblings Jeanne Thibault, Leo Gauthier, and Helen Theriault and their spouses.
Calling hours will be held at O’Brien Funeral Home, 24 Lincoln Ave. Bristol on Friday, Sept. 1, starting at 12 noon until a procession that will leave for a 1:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Matthew Church, 120 Church Ave. Bristol. Burial and military honors will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, Bristol.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either St. Jude Children’s Hospital, www.stjude.org or Boys Town, www.boystown.org.
To leave an online message of condolences, share a memory or photo, please visit Gerard’s tribute page at www.OBrien-FuneralHome.com.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.