Charles William 

                                        Married  - 16 Aug 1912 - Certificate

                                                                   William James Darch, Deputy Registrar of Marriages,

                                                                   for the District of Holborn, in the County of London

                                                                   Witnesses: F. Petitjean, E. A. Morcom and G. Beesley

Bessie Lilian Beesley    

Children 

Charles Frederick Petitjean

BIRTH: 8 Mar 1915, Waterbury, Connecticut, USA

BIOGRAPHY: 

        At the time of the 1920 Census, Charles F. was 4 years old, and living at 132 Wooster Street, Union City, New Haven County, CT (3-WD - Series: T625; Roll: 190; Page: 271; District: 305), with his Father, Charles (28), an instrument maker (Bristol Company, Platts Mills, Waterbury, CT), his Mother, Bessie L. (28), and brother, William G. (2 yrs 8 months). They were renting on the Sokoloski Farm (Joe Sokoloski was a Union City Barber, who cut the hair of four generations of Petitjeans: Father, Charles; the two boys, Charles and William, and eventually their brother, Robert; Grandfather, Charles, when he visited in 1934; and, much later, Charles Frederick's son, Ross).

        The family went to England on 15 May 1920, departing from the Port of New York on the R.M.S. Mauretania (passport applications). While they were there, Charles and his brother, William, were both baptized, on 5 Sep 1920, at the Wesleyan-Methodist Chapel, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell, in the County of  London,  by Edgar C. Barbon, Wesleyan- Methodist Minister.  (They were both confirmed at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, in Naugatuck, CT, years later).   

William and Charles - Baptism

        The family arrived back in the United States, on 6 Oct 1920, on the R.M. S. Olympic out of Southampton, Southhamptonshire, England. UK. Their address was listed as 143 Waterville Street, Waterbury, CT (home of Uncle, Octave). By 1922, they were living at 490 North Main Street, Union City, CT (Waterbury and Naugatuck City Directory, 1924).

        At the time of the 1930 Census, Charles was 15 years old, and living at 71 Golden Hill Street, Naugatuck, New Haven County, CT (3-WD - Series: T626; Roll: 274; Page: 139; District: 186), with his Father, Charles (40), an engineer in a brass factory; his Mother, Bessie (38); and his brothers: William (12), and Robert (5).  They moved to 1425 Highland Avenue Extension, Platts Mills, Waterbury, CT, in 1931.

        Charles attained the level of Eagle Scout, in the Boy Scouts of America, in  1931. He attended Naugatuck High School, graduating in 1931, and then took an extended trip to visit relatives in England.  He left about the 25th of July, on the S. S. Minnekadha (American Transport Line) traveling all the way up the Thames to London. After he returned (in November, on the S. S. Olympic out of Southhampton), he worked for the Waterbury Clock Company (later became Timex) and then for the Bristol Company. While working, he went to Wilby High School nights, to get a second high school diploma, this one commercial.

        He attended the Teachers' College of CT, New Britain, and graduated (second in his class) with a bachelors degree in business education. He subsequently received his masters (1943), and doctorate (1956), in business education, at NYU. He got his first teaching job at Canton High School, Collinsville, CT. He taught there for three years, and received his permanent CT teachers certification. 

        When offered a better paying job, back at the Bristol Company, he went back there for one year ('44 - '45). He then got a teaching job at the Junior College of CT, Bridgeport, CT (became the University of Bridgeport in 1949). He taught a course designed to teach veterans how to start a business, and later became chairman of the Marketing Department, and a professor in the business college. He received their "Teacher of the Year " award in 1956. 

        Charles married Edna Koch in 1947, and moved to New Haven, CT. Their son, Ross Allen, was born there, in 1948. Their daughter, Susan Nance, was born at St. Mary's Hospital, in Waterbury, CT, in 1949, while the family lived in Waterbury, with Charles' Mother, Bessie, until she died in 1949.  

Edna Koch  

        Charles and Edna purchased the first of two homes in Fairfield, CT, in 1949. They lived there for the next 17 years, and their daughter Ann Beth (b 1954), and son, Douglas Charles (b 1956), were both born at Bridgeport Hospital.

        In 1961, Charles was invited to be a summer, visiting professor at SUNY in Albany, NY. After five years in this capacity, he switched to becoming a full time professor there. They purchased a home in Clifton Park, NY, where they lived for the next fourteen years until his retirement (1980).  

        Charles and Edna's son, Ross, married Joyce Avery; their daughter, Susan, married P. Joseph Ward; and their daughter, Ann, married Dennis Kallimanis. They had seven grandchildren: Matthew Petitjean; Blake Allen, Dylan, Eliot Ross, and Barrett Ann Ward; and Claire Anastasia and Alex Charles Kallimanis.

        Charles and Edna retired to a home in East Sandwich, MA, and a winter condo in Naples, FL. In 1996, they moved to Delaware City, DE,  to be near their daughter, Ann, and her family. They purchased a townhouse there, in 1998.  Edna died on 15 Nov 1998, in Delaware City, DE, at the age of 75.

        In 2003, Charles moved to North Carolina with his daughter, Ann, when her husband, Dennis, was transferred there. In 2005, Charles celebrated his 90th birthday with family and friends, at the Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida.

Charles - 90th Birthday

 

In 20015, Charles celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends, at the Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida.

 

Charles - 100th Birthday

 

 

 

DEATH: 14 Oct 2016, Winston-Salem, Forsyth, North Carolina, USA

 

 

William George Petitjean

BIRTH: 29 May 1917, Waterbury, CT

BIOGRAPHY: 

        At the time of the 1920 Census, William G. was 2 years and 8 months old. He lived with his Father, Charles W. (28), instrument maker (Bristol Company, Platts Mills, Waterbury, CT), his Mother, Bessie L. (28), and brother, Charles F. (4), at 132 Wooster Street, Union City, New Haven County, CT (3-WD - Series: T625; Roll: 190; Page: 271; District: 305). They were renting on the Sokoloski Farm (Joe Sokoloski was a Union City Barber, who cut the hair of four generations of Petitjeans: Father, Charles; the two boys, Charles and William, and eventually their brother, Robert; Grandfather, Charles, when he visited in 1934; and, much later, Charles Frederick's son, Ross).

        The family went to England on 15 May 1920, departing from the Port of New York on the R.M.S. Mauretania (passport applications). While they were there, William and his brother, Charles, were both baptized (William's Certificate), on 5 Sep 1920, at the Wesleyan-Methodist Chapel, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell, in the County of London,  by Edgar C. Barbon, Wesleyan-Methodist Minister. (They were both confirmed at St. Michael Episcopal Church, in Naugatuck, CT, years later).  

William (front row, first on left)

St. Michael Episcopal Church Choir

        The family arrived back in the United States on 6 Oct 1920 on the R.M.S. Olympic out of Southampton, Southhamptonshire, England. UK. Their address was listed as 143 Waterville Street, Waterbury, CT (home of Uncle, Octave). By 1922, they were living at 490 North Main Street, Union City, CT (Waterbury and Naugatuck City Directory, 1924).

        On 24 Jan1925 (the same day as the eclipse of the sun), William traveled to England with his Mother, Bessie, and his Uncle Frederick C. Beesley, on the R.M.S. Olympic (Uncle Fred woke William to go on deck and see the eclipse). Bessie was pregnant at the time, and gave birth to her son, Robert John, on 30 Mar 1925, in England. They returned to the United States on 26 May 1925, and William celebrated an early 8th birthday on the R.M.S. Olympic.  

        At the time of the 1930 Census, William was 12 years old, and living at 71 Golden Hill Street, Naugatuck, New Haven County, CT (3-WD - Series: T626; Roll: 274; Page: 139; District: 186), with his Father, Charles ( 40), an engineer in a brass factory; his Mother, Bessie ( 38); and his brothers:  Charles (15), and Robert (5). They moved to 1425 Highland Avenue Extension, Platts Mills, Waterbury, CT, in 1931.

        William attained the level of Eagle Scout, in the Boy Scouts of America, in February of 1932. He attended Naugatuck High School and graduated as valedictorian in 1934. He was also the Editor-in-Chief, and staff artist of the class yearbook, "Lachesis - 1934"  

        He attended Yale University as a chemistry major, working summers at the Bristol Company, Waterbury, CT. After three years, he dropped out of school because of illness (many years later he found out that it had been rheumatic fever) and worked at the Bristol Company from 8 Jun 1936 to 26 Aug 1938 (except for 9 Aug 1937 to 19 Feb 1938, at Naugatuck Chemical). He then worked at Lewis Engineering from 29 Aug 1938 to 2 May 1939. At Lewis Engineering, they had him working on the design of what they hoped would be a competitor for his Father's "Pyromaster", but they discovered they couldn't make it cheaply enough to compete.

        William then moved to New Jersey to work for August Arace and Sons, Inc., in Elizabeth, NJ, from June 1939 to February 1940. On 7 Mar 1940, he started his job with the Walter Kidde Construction Company, NYC), serving progressively as a draftsman, designer, specifications writer, inspector and coordinator. He served in many responsible engineering positions related to facility systems reliability, particularly in the area of reliability design and installation of mechanical systems, with emphasis on the probability that these systems would perform a required function, under specified conditions, without failure, for a specified time.  When he started working for Walter Kidde, their office was located at the corner of 90 West Street and 140 Cedar Street in what used to be called the Brady Building, but is now called the "Miracle Building". It was right next to the World Trade Center, but survived the devastation in 2001. The Walter Kidde offices were located there through the construction of the Twin Towers, which William was able to observe from his office window. Ironically, William had witnessed an earlier crash of an airplane into a Wall Street Building (The Bank of Manhattan) from that window, on 20 May 1946. At that time, he sent a special delivery letter to his home town paper, "The Naugatuck News", describing the incident. His description was the basis for their headline article about the crash in the next day's paper ("Petitjean Watches Part of Transport Fall to Pine Street"). 
   

The Brady Building

(Miracle Building)

         At about the same time as starting work at Walter Kidde, William started going to night school, at New York University, to get his degree in engineering (he graduated in 1958).

NYU - Graduation Picture

        William had been dating Julie Dillon, but had decided to ask her sister, Eleanor Margaret Dillon, out. On one of his visits to the Dillon home, Eleanor yelled, "Julie, Weary's here." Bill told her that he had actually come to see her. They began dating, and married on 28 Nov 1940. 

Eleanor Margaret Dillon

        Their first home was on Waverly Street in Jersey City, NJ, where their daughter, Eleanor Gwen, was born in 1942.

        In 1945, they moved to Spring Street, Naugatuck, CT, next door to Eleanor's parents, John and Alice Dillon. Eleanor needed to be near her Mother because of complications with her pregnancy that required her to be bed ridden. During this time, William lived at a YMCA in NYC on week days and came home on weekends.  Second daughter, Linda Lee, was born that year.  

        They moved to 2423 Arthur Avenue, Bronx, NY, in 1946. 

        In 1946 they also purchased four acres of land on Woodland Road in Bethlehem, CT. This became the family's summer retreat - "The Woods".  

        They moved to 12-71 Orchard Street, Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in 1950.  

Their son, William G. Jr. was born there in 1953.  

        William's wife, Eleanor, died 25 Jun 1976, of complications resulting from the disease, giant cell arteritis. They had been married for 35 years. Eleanor was buried in the John Dillon family grave site, St. James Cemetery, Naugatuck, CT.

        In 1978, during a visit to Eleanor's grave in St. James Cemetery, Naugatuck, CT, William noticed the grave of Alfred Rossi.  Alfred had been married to a childhood friend, Rita Moran. He called her on January 1, 1979 and, after a brief courtship, they married on 22 Jun 1979.  

Rita Moran Rossi Petitjean

        Upon his retirement from Walter Kidde (last address - 1 Penn Plaza, NYC) in 1981, they built a home on their Bethlehem, CT property.

        William's daughter, Gwen, married Joseph Bartok; and his daughter, Linda, married Gary Lee Grenfell.  William had four grandchildren: Paul Thomas, and Laura Ellen Bartok; and Matthew Thomas and Jessie Lee Grenfell. 

Jessie Grenfell, Paul and Laura Bartok, Rita and Bill

Paul's Wedding - 2005

        Matthew Grenfell married Kimberly Lois Greene, on 2 Jul 1994.

Bill's first great grandchild, Christopher Nathan Grenfell, was born in 2001.

Bill's second great grandchild, Cathryn Eleanor Grenfell, was born in 2007.

        Bill's grandson, Paul Bartok married Mandy Barner, on 9 Apr 2005.

        William celebrated his 90th birthday with his family in 2007, at the Johnson Memorial Hall, Bethlehem, CT. 

Slide Show: William G. Petitjean Sr.; Celebrating his first 90 years.

For those without PowerPoint, version 2007 or later:

Free Download: PowerPoint Viewer

 

        William's wife, Rita, died on 31 Aug 2007, as the result of cancer. They had been married for 28 years.  Rita was buried with her first husband, Alfred Rossi, and her daughter, Marianne Leuchars, in the Rossi family grave site, St. James Cemetery, Naugatuck, CT.

 

DEATH: William died on 25 Jul 2010, in Naugatuck, CT, at the age of 93. He was buried with his first wife, Eleanor Dillon Petitjean, in the Dillon family grave site, St. James Cemetery, Naugatuck, CT.

BURIAL: A burial service was held at St James Cemetery, on 28 Jul 2010.

 

 

Robert John Petitjean

BIRTH: 30 Mar 1925, London, England

BIOGRAPHY: 

        On 24 Jan 1925 (the same day as the eclipse of the sun), Bessie traveled to England with her son, William, and her brother, Frederick C. Beesley, on the S. S. Olympic.  Bessie was pregnant at the time, and her son, Robert John, was born on 30 Mar 1925, in England. They returned to the United States on 26 May 1925, and Robert's brother, William, celebrated an early 8th birthday on the S. S. Olympic.

        At the time of the 1930 Census, Robert was 5 years old, and living at 71 Golden Hill Street, Naugatuck, New Haven County, CT (3-WD - Series: T626; Roll: 274; Page: 139; District: 186), with his Father, Charles ( 40), an engineer in a brass factory; his Mother, Bessie ( 38); and his brothers: Charles (15), and William (12). They moved to 1425 Highland Avenue Extension, Platts Mills, Waterbury, CT, in 1931.

        In 1935, Robert went on a six week trip to England, with his parents, Charles W. and Bessie, traveling on the White Star, Cunard Line. Brothers Charles and William stayed home, in Platts Mills, Waterbury, CT.

        Bob attended Crosby High School and graduated in 1941. After graduating, he was tested, and qualified for the V-12 program - a four year degree program concentrated in 30 months of classes, at Yale University. He graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering and the rank of Ensign, in the US Navy. Soon after graduating, he was discharged from the Navy, because the war was almost over.  He went back to Yale to get his masters degree, under the GI Bill.

        Bob met Ruth Hudner (b 1928) at a USO dance in Waterbury, CT, during his V -12 time at Yale. He frequently sang with the band, at these USO events. They were married on 22 May 1948.