J. Armand Choiniere

J. Armand Choiniere of Winston-Salem, NC died January 16, 2015 in Winston-Salem. Armand was 95 and had a great and fortunate life. Armand was born in Webster, MA on December 9, 1919, the son of Elzear Choiniere and Annie Parenteau Choiniere. He attended Queens College in Flushing, NY and graduated from the School of Industrial Management at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA. He served in the US Air Force from 1942 to 1946 in Military Intelligence. Armand married Anita Therese Ethier of Blackstone, MA in 1949. He was a senior purchasing executive of American Optical Company in Southbridge, MA. In 1961, the family moved to Kingsport, TN, where Mr. Choiniere served as Vice President of Manufacturing, Engineering, and Transportation at ASG Industries. As an active member of St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, Armand sang in the choir, participated in the RCIA program, the sister parish in Haiti, and served on the board of directors. He served on the board of directors of Holston Valley Medical Center and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He was a member of the Rotary Club and was active with Meals on Wheels. He was an avid genealogist, belonging to several genealogical societies. Armand and Anita moved to Winston-Salem in 1998, where he was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church. Armand is survived by his wife of 65 years, Anita Ethier Choiniere and children, Nicole Salkin of Winston-Salem, Gerin Choiniere (Angie) of Charlotte, Marie Choiniere (Michael Covington) of Graham, Laval Choiniere (Ruth) of Greensboro, Elise Shaner (Tim) of Burlington, and Laurent Choiniere (Cam) of Winston-Salem. Grandchildren include Ari Salkin; Gerin, Thomas and Haden Choiniere; Heather Mickle and Justine Matthews; Erika, Anna and Emilie Choiniere; David Shaner; and Ian Choiniere. Great-grandchildren are Darian and Jaden Mickle; Luke Choiniere; and “Baby” Matthews, due in July. He is survived by one brother, L. Roland Choiniere, of Webster, MA and many nephews and nieces. A memorial mass to celebrate Armand’s life will be at Holy Family Catholic Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., Winston-Salem, NC on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 11am. A reception at the church will follow the mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, shop.stjude.org. Summersett Funeral Home and Cremation Center is assisting the Choiniere family. Online condolences and memorial tributes may be made at www.summersettfuneralhome.com.

J. Armand Choiniere

December 9, 1919 - January 16, 2015