Michele Vannelli
My parent's BEST MAN
First off, Christian Pellier was his given name but everyone just called him "Rene" or sometimes, just "Pellier". His wife's name was Laurence and his mother-in-law lived with them and had the same name. Consequently, to differentiate between the two, they were always referred to in conversation as "Laurence mare" and "Laurence fille". Growing up, my grandfather's small weekend escape from NYC was his home in Crompound, NY. It became the local neighborhood gathering place for adults to drop in for coffee/drink/food and lively conversation on Sundays. Many were French people but it was a mix too. I don't know how it was that Rene and his wife knew my grandparents but I know they owned a house down the street from my grandparents which was rarely used in the timeframe I remember. Granted, I was just a kid. Eventually, Rene sold it and I became aware they moved to a home at 45 Clapboard Hill Rd in Westport CT. Perhaps the purchase came about because Rene's employer, Burndy Corp had moved out of NYC to Norwalk CT. I have no idea when this may have taken place. I met Rene and his wife Laurence at a very early age I assume. They were parts of my life when visiting my grandparents. I do know when my parents married, it was in NYC on their lunch hour at city hall and Rene stood up as witness/best man. As a kid, I remember him being a lively fun-loving adult compared to the rest of the folks at Grandpere's. I believe Rene was 10 yrs older than my Dad but I believe he actually was friends with my grandfather first. How or why is unknown to me since my grandfather was a chef and Rene was an engineer. I don't believe Rene and Laurence ever had any children which is too bad as they'd have made wonderful parents. I seem to recall hearing that when Renee and Laurence came to this country they shared an apartment with my grandparents for a time but whether that is true or not is unconfirmed. Mother told me it was Rene, not her father-in-law, who lent Dad money to buy his first car. I'm guessing that would have been around 1948 because my folks moved out of NYC and a car became a necessity. Mom told me it was then she learned to drive. The Pellier's didn't show up all the time at Grandpere's but sometimes, after meals, my Rene, Grandpere and Dad would go bowling and it was then I learned to bowl 10-pins. My sense and recollection was that Laurence was a woman ahead of her time. I don't know her background or when she and Rene married but she was a woman in a man's world of engineering. She was working on her Master's Degree at Steven's Institute of Technology in Hoboken NJ when my father was an undergrad, commuter student. For all I know, it could have been Laurence who suggested Dad check the school out and apply if he liked it. I also recall that when Laurence first came to this country she was a translator at I believe the United Nations. Again, it's a cobweb in my mind and I can't confirm as anyone who might have known is long dead but my sense was that she was a very smart lady. In her latter years, Laurence had a small workshop/studio on their Westport property with an, at the time, very expensive electron microscope, where she was self-employed doing consulting work. To my knowledge, Rene worked many years at Burndy Corp and eventually retired from there. My memories are fond. Decades went by and connections were lost but when Rene celebrated his 100 birthday, my aunt (Dad's 1/2 sister) put on a buffet lunch at Rene's Westport home and invited a small group of his family and friends to celebrate the event. By then, aids were living/caring for Rene and his wife. Laurence was consumed by Alzheimer's and Rene was as I remembered from childhood, smiling and happy to be with people, but his mind had severely dimmed. Although having not seen each other for years, I know my father was deeply saddened that Rene's mind didn't allow him to remember my Dad. A long life for a once vibrant man who touched my family and I in a special way.
