read this guys obit:
He was born in Holyoke on June 13, 1917 to the late Alfred and Flora C. (Lavallee) Lapointe, and was a 1936 graduate of Holyoke High School. Jerry served with the 11th Airborne Infantry Division, the first outfit to land in Japan after their surrender. He fought on Luzon receiving three campaign stars on his Pacific Ribbon. He worked at the National Blank Book and Parson Paper Mills, and was appointed to the Holyoke Fire Department in 1951, where he received two awards; one for a rescue at 107 Lyman St., and another at 149-150 Essex St. He retired in 1983. He loved riding his motorcycle to Atwood Airport, where he kept his single engine plane. He enjoyed flying his Taylor Craft all over New England. Keeping the plane became so costly, he took up sailing.
He bought a 24-foot sailboat, and named her Doris II. He sailed it to Bermuda and back with a fellow firefighter, Harry Dwight.
Alone he attempted to cross the Atlantic, but ran into a snowstorm and drifted onto rocks north of Nova Scotia. After abandoning the boat, he watched in sadness from Megland Island as Doris II broke apart.
His next boat was a much smaller craft, only 14 feet in length, named The Loner. Jerry decided to give it a test by sailing to Bermuda and back. Feeling confident in The Loner his thoughts were to make another attempt to cross the Atlantic. At 65 years-old, sailing out of Scituate, he arrived in Falmouth, England, 47 days later. He was made an honorary member of some of their yacht clubs. Four days later, rested and stocked up on supplies, Jerry left Falmouth for the journey home, sailing into Block Island 58 days later. On a later date he sailed out of New Zealand with a crew of six, including the man who built the boat, and sailed it around the Horn, stopping at some ports along the way.
One of his most enjoyable moments, was sailing the Virgin Islands for a week with his wife and a few friends. Jerry had a great love for animals. At one time while crossing the Atlantic, he rescued a couple of racing pigeons that had been blown out to sea, releasing them when he reached the coast of Ireland. For many years, he fed and cared for a large number of cats near the Homestead Avenue Fire Station. Jerry leaves his wife of 59 years, Doris E. (Laverty) Lapointe, a son Gerald and his wife Judith, and a daughter, Bonita and her husband Reggie Odabashian, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
He was born in Holyoke on June 13, 1917 to the late Alfred and Flora C. (Lavallee) Lapointe, and was a 1936 graduate of Holyoke High School. Jerry served with the 11th Airborne Infantry Division, the first outfit to land in Japan after their surrender. He fought on Luzon receiving three campaign stars on his Pacific Ribbon. He worked at the National Blank Book and Parson Paper Mills, and was appointed to the Holyoke Fire Department in 1951, where he received two awards; one for a rescue at 107 Lyman St., and another at 149-150 Essex St. He retired in 1983. He loved riding his motorcycle to Atwood Airport, where he kept his single engine plane. He enjoyed flying his Taylor Craft all over New England. Keeping the plane became so costly, he took up sailing.
He bought a 24-foot sailboat, and named her Doris II. He sailed it to Bermuda and back with a fellow firefighter, Harry Dwight.
Alone he attempted to cross the Atlantic, but ran into a snowstorm and drifted onto rocks north of Nova Scotia. After abandoning the boat, he watched in sadness from Megland Island as Doris II broke apart.
His next boat was a much smaller craft, only 14 feet in length, named The Loner. Jerry decided to give it a test by sailing to Bermuda and back. Feeling confident in The Loner his thoughts were to make another attempt to cross the Atlantic. At 65 years-old, sailing out of Scituate, he arrived in Falmouth, England, 47 days later. He was made an honorary member of some of their yacht clubs. Four days later, rested and stocked up on supplies, Jerry left Falmouth for the journey home, sailing into Block Island 58 days later. On a later date he sailed out of New Zealand with a crew of six, including the man who built the boat, and sailed it around the Horn, stopping at some ports along the way.
One of his most enjoyable moments, was sailing the Virgin Islands for a week with his wife and a few friends. Jerry had a great love for animals. At one time while crossing the Atlantic, he rescued a couple of racing pigeons that had been blown out to sea, releasing them when he reached the coast of Ireland. For many years, he fed and cared for a large number of cats near the Homestead Avenue Fire Station. Jerry leaves his wife of 59 years, Doris E. (Laverty) Lapointe, a son Gerald and his wife Judith, and a daughter, Bonita and her husband Reggie Odabashian, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
