John "Eddie" Edward Chicoine

John Edward Chicoine

John Edward ‘Eddie’ Chicoine was born in June 10, 1928 in Norwood MA to Norbert and Ramona (Trenholm) Chicoine.

John grew up in Easthampton, spending most of his youth and young adulthood on his Uncle Henry and Aunt Gabby Chicoine’s Oliver Street farm, where he developed a strong work ethic that lasted his entire life. He attended the Notre Dame parochial school and was a graduate of Saint Michael’s High School.

John was a Union carpenter for many years and was employed by Fleury Lumber and several other construction companies. When his construction career came to a close, he was employed by the former Immaculate Conception Church in Easthampton as well as St Mary’s Church in Westfield, from which he retired in 1993. John was also a Town of Southampton volunteer firefighter & EMT for a number of years.

While working a construction job at Hampton Specialty in Easthampton, he noticed a beautiful office worker, Ruth Messier. One of his work buddies dared him to ask her out; he did and the rest was history. John and Ruth were married in the Immaculate Conception Church on February 3, 1951 and spent the next 66 years together until Ruth’s death on July 11, 2017.

In 1953, John built a home from the ground up on Loudville Road in Easthampton where he and Ruth lived with their five children until moving to Southampton in 1965. Over the next 12 or so years they renovated that house from the foundation up. John was a master carpenter and worked at a task until the results were up to his exacting standards. He took pride in his home, spending countless hours maintaining both the home and grounds after his retirement.

Along with his son, Tom, John spent many years collecting ‘lost’ hit-and-miss engines, restoring them in the Engine Shed, a large barn that he and Tom built, and then attending engine shows throughout the Northeast and beyond. John’s specialty was antique corn shellers and grinders. Attendees at engine shows and agricultural fairs were delighted to see how corn used to be shelled and ground, and often left with a bag of cornmeal from John as a memento.

John leaves his children Anne Lafontaine (Robert) of Williamsburg, Tom Chicoine of Southampton, John Chicoine of Russell, and Mary Chicoine (Glen Ayers) of Greenfield. His son David Chicoine died in 2013. He leaves grandchildren Sheryl Lafontaine, Robert Lafontaine, Melissa Zononi, Ruby Chicoine, Sam Chicoine, and Morgan Mathison and great grandchildren Kyle & Carmen O’Connell, Liam & Amelia Lafontaine, and Victoria, Vincent, and Robert Zononi. He leaves his sister Shirley Chicoine (Elwood Morse) of Foxboro and was predeceased by sister Jeanne Lamica.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider making a donation to: Southampton Fire Department at 204 College Hwy or Southampton Historical Society at 234 College Hwy, Southampton, MA 01073.

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