Thomas B. Archambault

CPO Thomas Burke Archambault, US Navy retired, 76, of 29 Freeborn Street, Newport, RI, died at home on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 after a long and courageous fight with cancer. He was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on June 23, 1929 to the late Ellen and Thomas D. Archambault. Tom enlisted in the US Navy at the age of 17 on October 5th, 1946. After attending Hospital Corp school he transferred to the Navys Dental Service and became a prosthetic technician. His duty stations included the Naval Hospital at Philadelphia and the U.S. Naval Dental Clinics at the US Naval Hospital in Chelsea, Massachusetts, the US Naval Receiving Station, Boston, the US Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and the US Naval Station in Newport. He also served aboard the USS Delta, Yellowstone, Cascade, Amphion, and Arcadia. After retiring from the Navy in 1967 as a Chief Dental technician, he then entered the Civil Service System in the same capacity at the US Naval Dental Clinic Newport Naval Station from which he retired in 1989 completing almost 43 years of government service. Tom was a life member of the Middletown Knights of Columbus and the Newport B.O.P.E. Elks Lodge. Prior to suffering a stroke in 1996 he called Bingo on Monday nights at the Elks Lodge for many years. He also was the cook for the Friday night Soup Kitchen at the Salvation Army in Newport from 1989 until 1996 and helped fill the Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets there. He was a member of The Friends of the Newport Public Library where he volunteered for many years under the late Josephine Carson at the groups annual book sale. An avid golfer from the age of 13, he was a past member of The Green Valley Golf Club and served as the president of the Green Valley Golf Association in 1975 and won the Governors Trophy in 1981. He is a current member of Wanumetonomy Golf and Country Club. Tom was a loving, caring, and generous person who enjoyed the friendship of many. He was known for his sense of humor, which never failed him throughout his ordeal. His brave and realistic attitude towards his illness sustained his family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Florence and his two daughters, Edith Todd of Little Compton and Jane Luderer of Newport. He was the father of the late Thomas C. Archambault. He also leaves three grandchildren, Kendra Scott of Syracuse, NY, Laura Perkins of Middletown, and Eric Todd of Tiverton and a great-granddaughter, Lauren Ferreira of Tiverton. Burial in Newport Memorial Park will be private with a Memorial Service to be held at the United Congregational Church in Middletown on Saturday, September 10 at 2:30 PM. Donations in Toms name may be made to the to United Congregational Church, 524 Valley Rd., Middletown, RI 02842 or to the Visiting Nurse Service of Newport and Bristol Counties Hospice program, P.O. Box 690, Portsmouth RI 02871.