[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 3, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORY OF NORMAND BEST

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 3, 2009

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
memory of my father-in-law, Normand Best.

            Tribute to an Everyday American: Normand A. Best

       Normand Audrey Best was born in Omaha, Nebraska on November 
     3, 1928, to his proud parents, Catherine and Paul Best. He 
     was born and raised in the country's heartland where his 
     mother's family, the Kelleys, had farmed since the late 
     1880s. The nation was on the verge of the Depression and 
     ultimately Paul's work would take them to California, and 
     then on to Washington State, but it was his midwestern values 
     and work ethic that would serve him all of his life. He would 
     often talk at Christmastime with great fondness of the farm 
     in Nebraska, the small schools, and his family.
       The Kelley girls--as Norm's mother, Catherine, and her 
     sisters were called--made their mark in the community and the 
     parish. The five daughters of John Kelley would remain close 
     throughout their lives as pillars of both the parish and the 
     community. They were a source of comfort and solace to one 
     another. Norm has two sisters, Joan and Mildred, and a 
     brother, Gordon. A nine-year difference in age didn't allow 
     the brothers to get close until they were older; however, 
     Gordon looked up to his older brother and more than Best 
     Brothers they were Best Friends and great fishing buddies.
       Norm had a quiet reserve about him, a humility that comes 
     from being raised in hard times and the decency and demeanor 
     of a gentleman and a soldier. Like most who served in his 
     generation, he said little about his war experience. It's not 
     a subject that one dwells on, but over a few Bellows, his 
     drink of preference, he would reflect on his service in the 
     Marine Corps and how the training and discipline had served 
     him well.
       Norm enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during 
     World War II and served with distinction. He spoke rarely but 
     poignantly of having to escort home the bodies of fallen 
     heroes. He recalled how painful it was to go to the door of 
     the Marines' parents and give them the news. He was proud of 
     the Marines and the way they conducted themselves and the 
     honor and respect they paid to those who had given the full 
     measure of devotion to their country.
       He had a mind that was perhaps predisposed to math and 
     engineering. He had a clearheaded way of making decisions and 
     an acute ability to analyze data and information. These 
     skills would serve him well in his profession as a flight 
     engineer for Pan American, as a trouble shooter for Pratt and 
     Whitney Aircraft, and even in a game of pinochle.
       How a boy from Nebraska develops an aptitude for flight and 
     engineering is a story in itself. It was in pursuit of this 
     career that his life would be transformed when he met Carolyn 
     Tasse. Carolyn, as his brother Gordon aptly described her, 
     had a smile you could see a block away and lighted up any 
     room she entered with its warmth. They were the 
     quintessential American couple--he looking like Glen Ford and 
     she a short-haired Donna Reed. They met at Pan Am, so even 
     before they married they got to travel and see the world 
     together. This Midwestern man and New England woman fell in 
     love and were married. His job carried them to Minnesota and 
     then on to San Antonio, where they started their family of 
     four: Leslie, Louise, Warren and Allen. Ultimately his job 
     would lead them to East Hartford, Connecticut, where he would 
     live, work, and raise his family for the rest of his life.
       It's hard to comprehend how at 39 years of age he dealt 
     with Carolyn's passing. She died of Cancer in 1967, leaving 
     him with four little children--the oldest, Leslie, who was 
     nine and the youngest, Allen, who was just four. Nothing in 
     his life experience could have prepared him for this, yet he 
     met the circumstance with the resolve to keep his family 
     together. To those ends he gave the full measure of his 
     devotion both to his deceased wife and his children.
       He and Carolyn were a love story before Ryan O'Neil and Ali 
     McGraw had portrayed a similar saga in the movie ``A Love 
     Story.'' He never remarried and dedicated himself to his 
     children and his work. He made sure that he took the family 
     on interesting vacations that they all still recall fondly 
     whenever they gather together. He cooked, cleaned, and showed 
     up at all of their events. He was their compass and their 
     rock. There was no doubt of his love and selfless devotion.
       I was fortunate to meet him through his daughter, Leslie, 
     and eventually became his son-in-law. I treasured my 
     conversations, dinners, birthdays, holidays and especially 
     the times when his brother Gordon or his mother were in town. 
     The card games and the stories had all of the sentimentality 
     that makes the bond of family so strong. If I close my eyes, 
     I can still hear the laughter of their voices lingering in 
     the night.
       He was proud of his children and their accomplishments and 
     especially proud of his grandchildren, whom he also showered 
     with the full measure of his love and devotion. He was the 
     family support system, the go-to person in a crisis, and the 
     unfailing steady rock on which everyone depended and whom he 
     never let down.
       He reminded me very much of my own Father, different but 
     alike in many, many ways. Their values, work ethic, sense of 
     responsibility and character are examples that I only wish I 
     could emulate. He was an everyday man who minded his own 
     business and tended to his individual needs and family 
     responsibilities. He asked little for all he had sacrificed.
       I often wondered when I'd see him drift off or reflect 
     while he was listening to his music if he wasn't thinking of 
     he and Carolyn traveling the world, creating a family and how 
     short their time was together. Having given the full measure 
     of his devotion, it's heartrending to know he was reunited 
     with Carolyn on August 6, 2009. Norm completed his circle of 
     life, and while he is dearly missed, we are comforted knowing 
     his journey has brought him to a place his heart never left--
     back home to her.

                          ____________________