John Louis Normandin

John Louis Normandin

June 19th, 1950 - September 25, 2025

John Normandin, a giant of a man who left no person untouched by his joy, laughter, and love, passed away peacefully on September 25th, 2025 at the age of 75 in Pendleton, Oregon.

John was born in Portland, Oregon and was the first child in what would become a large, boisterous family.  He grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon with his sister and three younger brothers.  John attended Our Lady of the Lake parochial school, had jobs around Lake Oswego as a paper boy and ran the concessions stand at the lake in the summer.  He was a dedicated Boy Scout, earning the rank of Eagle Scout.  John attended Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon, where he graduated in 1968.

In his first year at Oregon State University, John met a vibrant and intelligent coed named Christine Stewart, whom he married in 1972, just a few months after earning a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from OSU.  John and Chris settled in Portland, Oregon, where they welcomed two children into the world, Tom in 1980 and Anne in 1984.  The family later moved to West Linn, Oregon, where they built a life together full of love, adventure, and strong family traditions.  

John began his career in sales and marketing at Molded Container Corp. in 1972, where he worked for over 20 years. He remained in the injection molding manufacturing industry for the entirety of his career, working as a sales manager, vice president, and then president of Vision Plastics, Inc. in Wilsonville, Oregon.  In addition to a successful career, John was a devoted Rotarian, having been a member of Rotary International since 1977.  He served as president of the SE Portland Rotary Club two times before joining the Lake Oswego Rotary Club.  John went on to serve as the Assistant Governor for Rotary International District 5100.  In his retirement, he continued as a member of the Pendleton Rotary Club.  

John was an astute businessman and natural leader, but will be remembered by most for his big, jovial personality.  John loved to meet new people and was always fond of a good joke or prank, never taking himself too seriously.  He was known for planning pranks weeks or months in advance, and often the person on the receiving end would be in awe of the time and commitment he put into it - just to bring a bit of the unexpected into their day.

When John retired in 2012, he began a decade of traveling the world with Chris, visiting six of the seven continents on many amazing adventures: from riding motorcycles through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, to visiting the Great Wall of China, to winters in Kona, Hawaii, to the shores of Normandy, France.  Of all the places he visited in the world, though, John’s favorite place was a little cabin called “The Vera Alice” in Ocean Park, Washington.  John and Chris bought the beach cabin in 1977, as it was next door to the Normandin Family cabin that John grew up visiting.  The Vera Alice was and remains a place of love, laughter, clam-digging, cribbage, campfire stories, and deep connections with extended family.  

In 2021, John and Chris moved to Pendleton, Oregon to be closer to their grandchildren.  In the last few years, John enjoyed watching his grandsons at their sporting events and supporting them at school and scout activities.  He was immensely proud of his children and grandsons.  

John was preceded in death by his parents Talbot Normandin and Mary Anne (Shea) Normandin; and brothers Frank Normandin and Fred Normandin.

John is survived by his wife of 53 years, Christine Normandin; son Tom (Lisa Curtis) Normandin and daughter Anne (Brent) Keeler; grandsons Jake Keeler and Levi Keeler; sister Sue (Tim) Hillard and brother Paul (Lynn) Normandin; eleven nieces and nephews; seven great-nieces and nephews; his cherished cousins from the Normandin and Stevens families; and many close friends.

John’s family and friends were his priority in life - and he truly made us all feel important and loved.  He will be missed tremendously.