Lawrence "Larry" Lafayette Pontbriant, 92, of Easthampton, MA died at Cooley Dickinson Hospital on June 18, 2020. He was born,11 Chapman Avenue, Easthampton, MA. April 16, 1928. He attended local schools and graduated from Smith Vocational.
He proudly served his country in the United States Army during World War II serving in the Signal Corps, Private First Class, during the Army Occupation of Japan. After the war, he took classes at Western New England College. He worked as a Mechanical and Design Engineer, designing machinery for the machine tool industry, bookbinding machines and a hydraulic winch of which he was very proud. He retired in 1996 at the age of 68. Since the age of eleven, he also worked in the Package Store business which his Father owned with his brother-in-law Phil Guimond. Larry purchased that business, Pleasant Street Package store in 1968 and remained owner/manager until 2010 retiring at age 81.
In his time he was an avid weightlifter, working out at the Franco American Club of Easthampton, MA. He was an avid chess player, winning many trophies from various chess competitions. He kept and enjoyed flower and vegetable gardens. For a time he took ballroom dancing lessons with his wife Gertrude. Larry loved computers and playing games with friends, especially Words with Friends, Backgammon and Chess. He kept busy creating an extensive library of Excel spreadsheets for solving engineering problems. He also used Excel as his artistic outlet, creating spreadsheets for those he cared, for what was going on in their lives.
He was predeceased by his grandparents that he lived with for many years, Gilbert and Cora Pontbriant, his parents Lawrence and Louise (Dubois) Pontbriant, his stepmother Louise B. (Guimond) Pontbriant, his loving wife Gertrude Lapan in 2001, and his grandson Lawrence Victor Pontbriant in 2007.
He leaves behind his two sons Lawrence Rosario and his wife Evelyn Pontbriant of Norwich, CT. André Gilbert and his wife Suzanne Pontbriant of Easthampton, MA. His daughter Michelle Delia Pontbriant of Easthampton, MA. His grandchildren Elizabeth "EJ" Pontbriant and Michael Lawrence Pontbriant.
Donations may be my made in his memory to LPASF. The Larry Pontbriant Athletic Safety Fund. C/O The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut. 68 Federal St. New London, CT 06320 The fund donates AEDs to youth athletic organizations and schools in Eastern Connecticut.
A social-distanced graveside service will be held at St Brigid's Cemetery, 33 Adams St. Easthampton, at 6:00 PM on Thursday, June 25, 2020. Boucher O'Brien Funeral Home has been entrusted with the burial.
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