Francis Xavier Hett, 88, died on Sunday, May 16, 2010 at Golden View Health Care Center in Meredith, N.H.
He was the son of James and Irene (Bates) Hett and was raised in Darien, Conn., where he met and married his wife of 52 years, Antoinette (Ippolito) Hett.
He served in the U. S. Army during WWII, earning a Purple Heart after four years of active duty in Northern Italy. Upon returning home, he went to work as a milkman for Sheffield Farms in Connecticut, delivering milk to such celebrities as Mary Martin, Inzio Pinza, Jackie Robinson, and Marilyn Monroe.
He then spent many years as an employee of Pitney Bowes, from which he eventually retired as a Time Study Engineer. Having spent several summers vacationing in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, he relocated there with his wife and operated two businesses in the town of Laconia; North Country Deli and Francis X. Hett Real Estate.
Upon retiring, he and Anne moved to Vero Beach, where Frank continued his real estate career part time before eventually working for Indian River Sheriff’s Department as a school crossing guard.
An active member of the community, he was President of The Gunstock Acres Association in Gilford,N.H. and was a faithful member of St. Helen Catholic Church in Vero Beach.
He recently moved back to New Hampshire.
He is survived by his brother, Charles J. Hett and his wife Harriet, of Darien; his daughter, Judith (Hett) Blake and her husband, Ronald, of Meredith; his grandchildren, Erik Blake and wife, Marla, and their children Sydney and Andrew Blake, of Vero Beach; Melissa Blake and husband, Roberto Orci, of Los Angeles; Joy Blake and husband, Matthew Meduri, and their children, Luella and Penelope Meduri of Los Angeles; Jessica (Blake) Rooney and husband, Jason Rooney, and their children, Alexander, Nathaniel, and Sawyer Rooney of Wrangell, Alaska; sisters-in-law, Helen (Ippolito) Ferrara of Vero Beach and Miriam Hett, of Darien; brother-in-law, Elwood Phillips of Los Angeles; and many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents, his loving wife, Antoinette (Ippolito) Hett, and his siblings, Helen (Hett) Lapolla and James Hett.
For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com