George A Vanasse

CHELMSFORD - George A. Vanasse, 92, a longtime resident of Chelmsford and former resident of Woonsocket, RI passed away on Sunday, November 27, 2016. He was the beloved husband of Rita (Charette) Vanasse to whom he has been happily married for 55 years.

He was born in Woonsocket, RI on October 8, 1924 and was a son of the late George E. and Arcelia (Rainville) Vanasse.

George was a 1941 graduate of Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, RI. Drafted in 1943, he joined the 158th Engineering Combat Battalion and served as a French-English interpreter in Normandy and Bastogne and as an infantryman in the Battle of the Bulge. After his military service, George attended college under the G.I. Bill and earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1950, a Master's Degree from Boston College in 1952 and a PhD in Physics from Johns Hopkins University in 1959. From 1959 until his retirement in 1989, he was a physicist for the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory at Hanscom AFB in Bedford. Author of several patents, he was the 1985 recipient of the US Air Force Harold Brown Award, the highest civilian award given to a scientist who solves a problem critical to the needs of the Air Force. George was a lifelong learner. In his retirement, he studied genetics, evolution, religion and philosophy. He enjoyed traveling, going for drives, eating out and the occasional good cigar. Mostly, he was a loving husband and a devoted family man who enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren.

In addition to his loving wife, George is survived by his children; Michael Vanasse and his wife Julie of PA, Denise Robichaud and her husband Joe of Cambridge, and Tina Vanasse and her husband Andre Narbonne of Acton. He also leaves six grandchildren and his sister Jacqueline Marcet of Woonsocket, RI.

Visitation on Friday from 5 to 8 pm at the Blake Funeral Home, 24 Worthen St., Chelmsford.

A Mass of Christian Burial followed by Military Honors will be celebrated on Saturday at 11 o'clock at St. Mary Parish, 25 North Rd., Chelmsford. PLEASE MEET AT CHURCH.

Private interment will take place in St. John the Baptist Cemetery in Bellingham at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Army Emergency Relief by visiting www.aerhq.org or the Alzheimer's Association at 480 Pleasant St., Watertown, MA 02472 (www.alzmass.org).

For those traveling a distance who may wish to stay over, there are several nice hotels listed on our website. In particular, the Radisson Hotel offers a special rate if you mention that you are in town to attend funeral services at our establishment.