Normand Provencher
1931 – 2010

PORT ORANGE, Fla. — Normand Provencher, 78, of Port Orange, Fla., passed on to heaven on Friday, Feb. 12, after a hard-fought battle with multiple myeloma. He was surrounded by his loving family at the time of his death.

He was born Dec. 23, 1931, to Emile and Marie Bizier Provencher in Auburn. On Sept. 6, 1948, he first married his childhood sweetheart, Virtue Robinson. They married again by the beach on a stormy night in Daytona, Fla. on Sept. 6, 2005.

He was a hard worker all of his life. His first job was on a farm with his future in-laws and later he worked in a shoe factory, a mill, and for Hammond Equipment in Auburn as a mechanic for farm equipment. He was finally able to reach his goal of owning his own business and became well known by many farmers all over Maine and even in New Hampshire, as the best “tractor doctor” around. Upon his retirement, he and Virtue moved to Florida. He then worked in various jobs, finally as pizza delivery driver for Domino’s Pizza in Port Orange.

Those who knew him knew he loved to talk. Although cancer took away his ability to work, he was able to spend his last two years sharing stories with his family, of his childhood and life. He enjoyed the special one-on-one time he spent with each of his children during his illness, both in Maine and Florida. Although his large family has settled all over the United States, he has managed to keep up with each of them.

He is survived by his wife, Virtue; his six children and their spouses, James and Janne Provencher, of Wilson Mills; Jane Peach of Lisbon; Elaine and Donald Morrison of New Gloucester; David and Connie Provencher of Lewiston; Patricia and Victor Pray of Port Orange, Fla.; and Kathy-Jo and John Lovely of Mechanic Falls. In addition, he is survived by a brother, Joseph, and Lorraine Provencher of Sabattus; a sister, Florence Manders of Fort Myers, Fla.; his best friend and brother-in-law, Conrad, and Carol Robinson of Hebron; sister-in-law, Charlene, and Sam Partee of Port Orange, Fla. His greatest joys were his 17 grandchildren; Marjorie, Tammy, Suzanne, Normand, Chad, Kelly, Betsey, Victor, Patricia, Nellie-Kim, David, Michael, John, Elizabeth, Arnold, Sherry and Lacey; his 25 great-grandchildren, Derek, Lyndsy, Candace, Michael, Hannah, Wyatt, Olivia, Amy, Brady, Seth, Sarah, Autumn, Nicolas, Troy, Phoenix, Jacob, Kayla, Molly, Dylan, Alex, Emily, Katie, Lance, Alexis and Brenton. In October he and Virtue were able to come back to Maine to meet their first great-granddaughter, Addyson.

He was predeceased by his parents, Marie and Emile Provencher, his grandson, Hugh John Hodgdon, his great-grandson, Adam Baril, and a brother, Richard. He loved life and enjoyed it to the fullest.