Normand L. Gallant, 84, of Houston, Texas passed away Tuesday, August 6th at his home with family in attendance.
Normand is survived by his wife of 21 years, Isabel (Tio) Gallant and her children, his daughter, Therese Gallant Goodearl and sons; Philip, Andrew and Christopher, along with his sister Paulette as well as many nieces and nephews, all of whom held a special place in his heart. Normand was also blessed with four beautiful grandchildren; Kiley, Joshua, Catherine and Cait, who provided him with much joy and pride and they in turn loved their Pepe.
Normand was a devout Catholic and it was this faith that would prove to be the catalyst to many of his life successes and adventures. As a young man, Normand served God in a religious order for a number of years before making the decision to serve his country as a member of the United States Coast Guard. During his tenure in the service, Normand developed a talent for cooking, an ability which he would later put to good use along with his exceptional baking skills.
After leaving the service, Normand met and shortly thereafter married the love of his life, Caroline (Duffy) Gallant and together they raised their four children in the city of Brockton, Massachusetts. Normand, a true self-made man, worked hard to support his family, with the assistance of Caroline, while attending classes at night in order to become a Master Electrician. Normand’s devout faith would later provide him solace after the untimely death of Caroline in June of 1986.
Following Caroline’s death, Normand traveled to Haiti to donate his electrical skills to support the Haitian community, to include a wiring project for a local hospital. Normand forged many friendships while living in Haiti, where his faith in God continued to foster and soon provided him the impetus to pursue a late calling to the priesthood. He petitioned many dioceses and then moved to the Philippines in order to pursue this spiritual endeavor.
Normand would decide soon thereafter that God had other plans for him when he met Isabel and her extended family. Normand and Isabel would later marry and then move to Houston where they developed strong community bonds and friendships in faith. Normand was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, having served as a Pro Life Director and Fourth Degree Knight. Normand will forever be celebrated and remembered for his faith in God, love of family and community.
The Gallant children would like to take this opportunity to thank Isabel for all her love, support and companionship in faith to Normand.
Wake services were held on Sunday, August 11, 2019 in the Dettling Funeral Home, in Houston, Texas. A Funeral Mass was celebrated Monday, August 12, 2019 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, also in Houston, Texas. It was Normand’s wish to be laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery in Brockton, MA. A Graveside Service with Military Honors will be held at Calvary Cemetery, 163 N. Cary Street, Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 10:30 a.m.
Anyone wishing to make a donation in Normand’s memory may do so through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at https://svdp-houston.org/society-of-st-vincent-de-paul.