Robert W. Parent

1923-2013 Robert W Parent passed away Friday, February 1st at his home on Webster Street in Lewiston. He was born on October 1, 1923 in Lewiston to Edmond and Yvonne Bergeron Parent. Orphaned in his early teens, Bob resided in foster homes until his paternal aunt and her husband, Grace and Lee Welch, agreed to provide Bob and his two brothers with a home. Following his graduation from Lewiston High School in 1942. He enlisted in the Army Air Force and was sent to study at the University of Mississippi for a period prior to being stationed in London, England where he stayed for the duration of World War II. Bob returned to Lewiston at the close of the war and married the love of his life, the former Blanche Gendron on June 11, 1949. About this time, he began working for New England Telephone a subsidiary of Bell Telephone. Moving from his initial custodial work assignment, Bob was trained as an installer/repair person, a position he held until his retirement in 1982. A reserved man with a wry sense of humor, Bob enjoyed family activities, puttering in his workshop and golfing with his wife, which he took up following his retirement. Bob and Blanche often journeyed to Florida for a month during the winter where they connected with other family members and escaped Maine winters for a brief period of time. Bob fostered in his children a strong sense of family, as well as, an acute sense of the importance of education and work ethic. Bob is survived by his four children, their spouses, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Daughter Caroline Chandonnet, her husband Daniel of Lewiston, their two daughters, Melissa Farinas and her husband Len, and children Brodi, Brandon, and Sophia of Lewiston and Jaime LeBlanc, her husband Jesse and their daughter Grace of Sumner; daughter Joan Toy and her husband Chris of Bath, and their daughter Lindsay Nason of New York City; his son Bruce an his wife Marjorie of Lewiston, and daughters Katie of Brunswick and Emily of Lewiston; and son Bill, wife Kathy and their children Matthew, Allison and Jennifer of Walpole, MA. Bob was predeceased by his wife, Blanche, his brothers Roger, Bertrand, and sister, Lucienne. Visiting hours will be Friday, February 15th from 7-9 p.m. A funeral mass, celebrating Bob’s life will be held on Saturday, February 16th at 11 a.m. at Holy Cross Church in Lewiston. Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Bob’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project www.woundedwarriorproject.org