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Al St. Onge Albert A. St.OngeBirth date: February 23, 1943. CWO-3 Albert A. St. Onge, USN (Ret), NCVA past president and a founding member of NCVA New England, passed into the hands of his Maker during the early morning hours of 17 August 2011. He was born on February 23, 1943 in Putnam, CT, a son of the late Normand A. and Yvette O. (Pepin) St. Onge. He was the oldest of 6 children. He entered the Navy after graduating from Putnam High School in 1961 and began a 22-year career as a Cryptologist in the Naval Security Group. Warrant Officer St. Onge’s duty stations included training schools in Pensacola, Florida; overseas duty in Turkey, Scotland, and Germany; stateside duty in Maryland, Hawaii, Joint duty in Texas and sea duty in six Fast Attack submarines, a Technical Research Ship in Vietnam, and brief periods aboard several U.S. surface warships. His superior technical expertise in Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) placed him at the leading edge of U.S. and NATO Electronic Warfare (EW) activities during the Cold War which resulted in his being selected for a special assignment to the German Navy as a technical advisor in one of their destroyers. The awards he received during his career include the Good Conduct Medal (four awards), National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (two awards), Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Citation (three awards), Navy Expeditionary Medal, RVN AF Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry Cross), Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Navy Achievement Medal (two awards). Of special significance to him were the awards of the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Additionally, the Association of Old Crows (AOC), a non-profit professional organization engaged in the science and practice of Electronic Warfare and Information Operations, presented him with its prestigious Intelligence Award in 1982 during the AOC International Symposium in San Francisco. He was very proud to have held every enlisted rate in the U.S. Navy; he retired in 1983.
He was an honorary Life Member, longtime Adjutant and Past Commander of the James E. Coffey Post #3 (Nashua, NH) of the American Legion. He held memberships in the Nashua VFW Post 483, Branch 338 of the Navy Fleet Reserve Association, the Club Lafayette of Nashua and the Association of Old Crows. He served his community on the Cable TV Advisory board and for several years was the Chairman of Nashua’s Joint Veterans Parade Committee which organized and conducted two city parades annually. He loved spending summers at his camp on China Lake in Maine, golfing, gardening, fishing, spending time with friends, and especially enjoying his grandchildren. He also liked to play darts and cribbage and at one time he was a pretty decent square dancer. In addition to being past President of the NCVA and a recent recipient of the NCVA’s life membership award, he was a plank owner and founding member of the NCVA-New England (NE) and was its secretary-treasurer for nearly 10 years. He was an active leader in the organization, its focal point for the dissemination of information and everyone’s favorite friend. He hosted the successful 2007 NCVA reunion in Saratoga Springs, New York, was the Registration Chairman for the successful 2001 NCVA reunion in Boston and he planned, organized and hosted four NCVA-NE semi-annual reunions. Even as recently as 2010, in the middle of his illness, he immersed himself in developing a proposal for another NCVA reunion. Whether hosting an NCVA reunion, an NCVA-NE event, or simply standing in the doorway of a meeting room, he greeted everyone with a welcoming handshake and a big, warm smile. He will be remembered for quietly and humbly performing innumerable tasks, large and small, for the benefit of the members of the NCVA-NE since it was formed in 1998. In his own words, this was his labor of love, and for that we salute him, thank him and cherish his memory. His selfless contributions of exceptional service to his nation, to his community and to the NCVA will never be forgotten. Warrant Officer St. Onge is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara, son and daughter-in-law, Normand A. and Sarah St. Onge of Columbia, SC; a daughter and son-in-law, Teresa and George Downing of Keene, NH; two brothers and three sisters, Andre and Suzanne St. Onge of Putnam, CT, Jeannine Boulay of Leesburg, FL, Anne and David Kelly of Promfret, CT, Donald and Denise St. Onge of Putnam, CT, and Armand and Denise LaFleur of Putnam, CT; five grandchildren, Alexandria, Nathaniel and Darby Jane St. Onge of Columbia, SC, Elizabeth and Andrew Downing of Keene, NH; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and his former wife Patricia (Darby) St. Onge of Nashua, NH. Fair Winds and Following Seas, Al. Memorials: Visitation: Service: Cemetery: To visit and sign the online guestbook, please go here: Davis Funeral Home The Ship I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails in the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, "there she goes!" Gone Where? Gone from my sight… that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There she goes!" there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "There she comes!" Henry Jackson Van Dyke (1852-1933) Fair winds and following seas my friend..... 
THE PLAQUE Al's son Normand created the cryptogram and it was inscribed on the plaque to be placed on his grave-site door. When Barbara passed away they revised the plaque to include Barbara's info which left no room for the cryptogram. And as the government goes the old plaque was returned to the government (actually their property) and replaced with a revised version with just Al and Barbara's info.
The cryptographer (Al's son) in creating his code, just slid the alphabet 13 positions and the result is A = N. The message on Al's Original Plaque is "BELOVED HUSBAND DAD PEPERE RED SKY AT NIGHT" And now you know the rest of the story .... |
After his retirement from the Navy, he and his family settled in Nashua, New Hampshire, where he worked for 19 years as the foreign weapons systems intelligence analyst at BAE Systems (formerly Sanders Associates). Over the years of his distinguished career at BAE Systems, his knowledge was crucial to the successful development of EW systems for Department of Defense programs. The demand for his unique skills carried over into his retirement, when he was recalled a number of times to render consultant services.
Barbara Louise (Corey) St.Onge
Dates: Obituary: She was born in Portland, ME on June 29, 1945, daughter of the late Raymond H. and Grace A. (Quarrington) Corey. She married Albert A. St.Onge on December 5, 1992 and spent 18 wonderful years with him, until his death on August 17th of this year. After graduating from South Portland High School in 1963 she earned an Associate of Applied Science from Westbrook Junior College in Portland, ME in 1967. She worked for many years providing administrative support in the health care field, and her compassion, good humor and sharp organizational skills were the hallmark of her work at The Heart Center and later at the New England Heart Institute at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester until her retirement in 2005. She will be remembered for her friendliness and sense of humor as well as for her volunteer spirit. She served as President of the American Legion Auxiliary Chapter in Nashua from 1993-1998, leading a major period of growth in membership for the organization. Along with her husband, she also gave of her time to support the Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association and was commended by that organization for her contributions. She enjoyed spending summers at her camp on China Lake in Maine, visiting with friends and spending time with her family. She was predeceased by her brother James E. Corey of Portland, ME. Survivors include a step-son and daughter-in-law, Normand A. and Sarah St.Onge of Columbia, SC; a step-daughter and son-in-law, Teresa and George Downing of Keene, NH and five grandchildren, Alexandria, Nathaniel and Darby Jane St.Onge of Columbia, SC, and Elizabeth and Andrew Downing of Keene NH. Memorials: Visitation: Service: Cemetery: To visit and sign the online guestbook, please go here: Davis Funeral Home
Barbara will be remembered for her friendliness and sense of humor, as well as for her volunteer spirit and tireless efforts in support of the Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association (NCVA). Her baptism under fire occurred when, in 1998, her husband Al volunteered to be the registration chairman for the NCVA’s 2001 Boston reunion. She worked right along side of Al and her dining room table was often piled high with registration materials and coffee cups as the reunion planning evolved over a period of three years. She quickly became an integral member of the reunion’s planning committee, and her hard work was recognized in a Letter of Appreciation from the NCVA’s Executive Director. She repeated that performance every time Al hosted a mini reunion for the NCVA-New England (NE) and she was, of course, at the very top of her game when Al and she hosted the memorable 2007 NCVA reunion at Saratoga Springs, New York. Barbara was loved by everyone in the closely-knit NCVA-NE, and she’ll be remembered and deeply missed by all who knew her.
Barbara and Al St. Onge
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