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EASTHAMPTON, Mass. -- Eugene Raymond
Sylvester, 91, of Easthampton, passed away Thursday, July 16, 2015,
at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
He was born Feb. 25, 1924, in Williamsburg, the son of the late E.
Raymond and Marian Lena (Damon) Sylvester. He was educated in the local
schools and attended the Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.
Eugene was a World War II U.S. Army Veteran serving as a Sergeant with
Company G of the 507th Parachute Infantry Division. Eugene participated
in D Day in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. For his
service and bravery in combat Eugene was awarded the Bronze Star and
the Purple Heart, for wounds received in battle. Additionally Eugene
was awarded a Distinguished Unit Badge and recently in 2009 a French
Legion of Honor Medal.
He was employed for over 40 years with the New England Carpenter Union,
retiring in 1985. Eugene was a life member of both the Easthampton VFW
Post 3422 and the Florence
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VFW Post 8006; a member of the DAV Chapter #92 in
Northampton, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the American
Society of the French Legion of Honor, and the Northampton Elks
Lodge 997.
He leaves his son Timothy and his wife Barbara (Dawson) Sylvester,
his three grandsons, Sean and his wife Jessica, Eric and his fiancée
Erika and Kyle and his fiancée Corrine, and his 10 great-grandchildren,
Megan, Seth, Sebastian, Isaac, Shane, Justin, Jason, Nicholas, Sydney
and Riley.
Eugene's beloved daughter Lynne Gosselin passed away in 2011. Eugene
was the last surviving child of his parent's seven children.
Military honors will be rendered Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Massachusetts
Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. The O'Brien Funeral Home has
been entrusted with the arrangements.
Gifts can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at P.O. Box 758517,
Topeka, KS 66675, or online at woundedwarriors.net.
[The Daily Hampshire Gazette. July 20, 2015]
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[courtesy of Dave McCaffrey]
Grave marker for Eugene R. Sylvester in Section 9,
Row D, Site 331, Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Agawam
(Hampden county), Massachusetts.
Eugene enlisted in the Army at Springfield, MA on
15 June 1942. This copy of his draft record reflects a postwar
update with the words "discharged Veteran."
Sgt
Sylvester was present in the 508th 1945
3rd Anniversary book's group photo for personnel recently arrived
in Company A
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