Fernande M. Cormier

They say that long after we are too big to carry in her arms, a mother carries us in her heart . . . and so it was for Fern Cormier of Waltham.

When her grandchildren were young, they would spend every weekend at their grandparent's house. Fern welcomed them on each visit with a big 'hello,' a warm hug and a joyous smile, and every time, as if it was the first.

Fern was born on July 2, 1943 in the rural town of Cocagne, New Brunswick to the late Edgar and Cecile (Cormier) Cormier. Raised in Canada, she immigrated to the United States in 1959, settling in Waltham. It was there that she met her sweetheart, Norman Cormier, also a New Brunswick native. The pair married on September 2, 1961 in Saint Pierre Church in Cocagne and celebrated 57 years of marriage before Norman's death on September 12, 2018. Now reunited with the love of her life, Fernande M. (Cormier) Cormier died peacefully at home on Saturday, September 21, 2019. She was 76.

Making Waltham their lifelong home, she worked for more than twenty-five years as a monitor inspector at Hewlett-Packard before her retirement in 2005. Norman and Fern were very proud of their heritage and felt at home in Waltham. The couple looked forward to yearly trips 'back home' to New Brunswick visiting family and friends. Fern took a liking to country music, especially the work of George Jones, Reba McIntyre, and Loretta Lynn. She and Norman also loved attending music festivals in Canada whenever Norman's cousin's blue grass band had a show.

Fern loved taking care of her home and family; happiness radiated from her whenever life afforded the opportunity to tend to her meticulously maintained garden or spend time with her children, grandchildren, and later her great-grandchildren.

In addition to her husband, Norman, she was predeceased by her beloved grandson, Brandon LeBlanc.

Fern leaves her daughters, Suzanne M. Hamlin of Northborough and Norma M. LeBlanc of Moncton, New Brunswick; her grandchildren, Caroline Rodriguez, Patrick Hamlin and Aaron LeBlanc; her great-grandchildren, Savannah, Jaxon, and Madilynn LeBlanc; her siblings, Ulysse Cormier of Cocagne, New Brunswick, Leonard Cormier of Dieppe, New Brunswick, and Jeannine Hebert of Ontario.

Family and friends will honor and remember Fern's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Thursday, October 3rd from 5 to 8 p.m. and again on Friday morning when her funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum, Waltham.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.