Desmond Chastanet, son of Arthur and Iris Chastanet, who was sixth out of a family of ten, passed away in Wayne, New Jersey on March 19th, 2015 at the age of eighty-six.
Desmond attended St. Mary’s College and became an apprentice surveyor with Mr. McNamara, a well-recognised surveyor on-island. He later proceeded to the UK where he earned a BSc. Degree in Civil Engineering. He returned to St. Lucia and worked for a short period as an engineer at the Public Works Department under Mr. Wint before assuming the position of Colonial Engineer. After a few years he migrated to the US where he received in 1959 a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was a Principal, Professional Engineer at Joseph S. Ward Inc and the Converse Consulting Firm for a major portion of his professional career. After he retired from Converse Consulting at age sixty-five, he became an independent engineer consultant.
Desmond was married to Teresa Rose Groeller who was assigned by the Ford foundation to teach mathematics at the St. Joseph’s Convent based on her academic qualifications.
He leaves to mourn his wife Theresa, his two daughters Catherine and Terry and his son Robert. Catherine Rose Chastanet is married to Theodore (Ted) Leighton and has two daughters, Bridget and Audrey Leighton.
Teresa Marie Chastanet Scriptunas graduated from Villanova University in 1982 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and the University of Albany in 1984 with a Master’s in Criminal Justice. She has worked for the State of New Jersey in the Department of Children and Families for 26 years. She is married to Jerome Scriptunas and has one son, Vladimir Scriptunas.
Robert Joseph Chastanet graduated from the U.S Naval Academy in 1983 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences with a medical degree in 1987. He trained as a general surgeon specializing in weight loss surgery. He served 26 years in the U.S Navy as a doctor, including deployments on various ships (including the aircraft carrier the USS Constellation) and deployments to the Middle East. Since retiring from the navy, he has started a private surgical practice in Chesapeake, Virginia. He is married to Rachel Barnum Chastanet and they have three sons, Daniel, Timothy and John Chastanet.
Desmond will be truly missed by his immediate family and in particular by his brothers Michael and David and his sister Alice who maintained a close relationship with him over the years.
May God bless his soul.
