Paul Normandin Remembered for People Skills, Political Savvy (542)

LACONIA — Attorney Paul L. Normandin, who died yesterday at his summer camp on Lake Winnisquam at the age of 83, is remembered by his friends and colleagues as a distinguished attorney with unparalleled people skills who excelled at solving problems and running political campaigns.

"He was very skilled and was in great demand for his advice on how to handle issues in a campaign and nuts-and-bolts things like where to campaign door-to-door,'' recalls state Rep. David Huot, a Laconia Democrat, whose father, J. Oliva Huot, was a Laconia mayor and later a U.S. Congressman.

Huot said that Normandin campaigned for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and was a delegate to the Democratic convention in Los Angeles which nominated Kennedy.

''He was on the City Council around the time my dad was Mayor and a close friend to the family,'' said Huot, who said Normandin was one of the key players in Democratic politics in New Hampshire during the 1960s, an era of great success for Democrats which saw former Laconia mayors leading the way.

Among them were Tom McIntyre, elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, Huot's father, elected to Congress in 1964, Bernie Boutin, who ran Kennedy's New Hampshire campaign and became head of the General Services Administration in the Kennedy administration, and Hugh Bownes, Democratic National Committee member in 1964 who later became a federal judge.

Laconia City Councilor David Bownes said that some of his fondest memories as a youngster were of the Democratic Party gatherings attended by his father, Normandin, Ollie Huot and Bernie Boutin.

''I have a picture from when I was around 10 years old of my dad, myself and Paul at a baked bean supper at the old Opechee Park Clubhouse. Paul was a charming kind man who was a great friend to me and my family.''

Normandin graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1952 and joined the Normandin, Cheney and O'Neil, law firm, which his father F.E. Normandin, had started in 1914, in 1955 after graduating from Boston University Law School.

He served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire from 1961 to 1965 and also served two terms in the state Legislature.

''He was a mentor to me.'' said Bob Dietz, an attorney with Normandin, Cheney and O'Neil, who described Normandin as ''skilled as an attorney, but also skilled as a human being. You could always count on him to do the right thing.''

Carroll Stafford, former president of Laconia Savings Bank (now the Bank of New Hampshire), said that Normandin ''was a great guy and a very knowledgeable person. He was chairman of the board of directors when I was president and we worked together for 25 years.''

''He was also a good politician, well-liked by everybody and just a great person.'' said Stafford.

Normandin, who retired recently, had an active trial practice for many years and later focused his practice on the areas of probate, estate planning, real estate law, business planning and banking.

He was also president of the Laconia Historical and Museum Society, a member of the Laconia Fire Commission, served as a member of the Gunstock Area Commission for 11 years and was a recipient of the Laconia Chamber of Commerce coveted Jim Irwin Community Recognition Service Award.

His obituary can be found on Page 18.