Wilbrem Joseph Guertin

WARWICKWilbrem Joseph "Will" Guertin, 94, of Minnesota Avenue, passed away Thursday, at the Rhode Island Veterans Administration Medical Center. He was the husband of Rita Guertin and the late Evelyn Hebert Guertin.Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Joseph O., and Aline (Gauvin) Guertin. Will resided in Providence for many years. He also resided in Cranston, Florida, and finally in Warwick.Mr. Guertin attended Our Lady of Lourdes School in Providence and was an altar boy at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. He later attended St. Edmunds Juniorate in Swanton, Vermont. After graduation he studied bookkeeping at Central Evening School in Providence. He entered the United States Navy in 1942 where he was a Naval Aviation Ordinance First Class Trainer with VJ15 and served in World War II.Will was a member of Saint Charles Borromeo Church in Providence for 27 years. He was also a communicant of Immaculate Conception Church in Cranston for 25 years, where he served as Eucharistic Minister and was a member of the Men's Guild. He was the altar server at noonday mass everyday until he was 88 years old. He often joked that he was the oldest living altar boy.Mr. Guertin worked in the Experimental Machine Division, for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company for 27 years. One of his duties was making specialist parts that went into Apollo flights in the 1960's. He traveled to Connecticut from Rhode Island every workday; and, upon his retirement in 1982 he received an award for perfect attendance. Prior to working for Pratt & Whitney, he was employed at Anson Jewelry and Gorham-Textron Manufacturing Company.He was the devoted father to his three daughters, Marilyn Aline Belawski of Cocoa Beach, FL, Frann Marie Williams of Seekonk, MA, and Janet Rose Guertin-O'Rourke of Warwick; he was the father-in-law to "His Best Buddies", Joseph A. Belawski and William F. O'Rourke; his five beloved grandchildren are Stephen J. Belawski of Oconomowoc, WI, David E. Belawski of Maitland, FL, Troy D. Williams of Centennial, CO, Tracey J. Pina of Norton, MA, and Christopher W. O'Rourke of Providence; proud great-grandfather of eleven, Charles, Claudia, Veronica, Ryan, Luke, Amanda, Camryn, Austin, Makenzie, Quinn, and Katherine; he was also the brother of the late Henry Joseph Guertin and the late Sister Marilyn Guertin (Beatrice) of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Orange, California.His funeral will be held Thursday, at 8:15 am from the Russell J. Boyle & Son Funeral Home, 142 Centerville Road (Rt. 117) Warwick. Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am in Saint Joseph Church, 92 Hope Street, Providence. Burial with military honors will be in Saint Ann Cemetery, Cranston. Visiting hours will be Wednesday, from 2-4 & 6 -8 pm. For directions and online condolences please visit: boyleandsonfuneralhome.com