CHICOPEE - Armand P. Hamel, 72, of the Willimansett section of Chicopee, was Called Safely Home on Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, 2016. He passed into Eternal Life at his home surrounded by the care and comfort of his loving family. He was born in Holyoke on June 24, 1944, the “favorite” son of the late Joseph E. and Josephine (Blanchard) Hamel. He was raised in Chicopee, graduated from Chicopee High School and was nearly a lifelong resident of Willimansett. He served his country honorably in the United States Navy for over thirteen years during the Vietnam War attaining the rank of Boiler Technician Petty Officer First Class. As a result of being injured in the United States Navy, he was a member of the Disabled American Veterans. He was employed in the electrical industry and had worked at Fossil and Hydroelectric facilities in Massachusetts and Virginia for many years. He later worked for 29 years and retired from Northeast Utilities in July of 2009. Active in his Catholic faith, he was a communicant of the former Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Willimansett where he was a member of the League of the Sacred Heart and a longtime Funeral Senior Altar Server. Following the closing of his beloved church, he became a communicant of Sainte Rose de Lima Church in Chicopee where he also served as a Funeral Senior Altar Server. He often volunteered at the Chicopee and Agawam Senior Centers where he enjoyed playing cribbage. As an avid cribbage player, he enjoyed most any card game and achieved a Master Cribbage Player status in 2012. He was a member of the Longmeadow Club 72 Pegging Fools Cribbage Club. During his leisure time, Armand enjoyed planting flowers in the Spring. His favorite gardening expression was “Next year I am not going to plant so many weeds”. He leaves his beloved wife and best friend, Alice I. (Roy) Hamel. They were married on November 11, 1976 and were blessed with over 40 years of happiness together. He also leaves his six loving children, Kathleen R. Roy and her husband, David, of Belchertown, Nora J. Hamel of Virginia Beach, VA, David A. Heroux and his wife, Elizabeth, of Granby, Miriam Gennari and her husband, Paul, of Arlington, VA, Joseph P. Hamel and his wife, Michelle, of West Springfield and Michael P. Hamel and his wife, Megan, of Middletown, CT; his nine cherished grandchildren, Justin Roy and his wife, Kate, twins Madelynn and Olivia Heroux, Teresa and Briana Rusin, Rose Gennari and Mason, Karsen and Brandon Hamel; his two cherished great-grandchildren, Adryn and Aubrey Roy; his three dear sisters, Pauline Beauregard, Irene Gonneville and her husband, Marc, and Jeannette Boulerice and her husband, Dennis, all of Chicopee; his two dear brothers-in-law, Clarence Roy and his wife, Connie, of Chicopee and Reverend Robert Roy of East Hartford, CT; and his many dear nephews, nieces, cousins, friends and extended members of the Hamel and Roy families. In addition to his parents, he was also predeceased by his two dear brothers-in-law, Eugene Beauregard and George Roy. His funeral will be held on Tuesday morning, January 3, 2017 beginning at the St. Pierre-Phaneuf Aldenville Chapels, 13 Dale Street, Chicopee, MA 01020, (funeral home will open at 7:45 a.m.), followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 9 a.m. at Sainte Rose de Lima Church, 600 Grattan Street, Chicopee, MA 01020. His Committal Service with United States Navy Military Honors will follow the Mass at 11 a.m. in the Chapel at the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, 1390 Main Street, Agawam, MA 01001. His family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday, January 2, 2017 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The parking lot and main entrance are located in the rear of the funeral home at 20 Lafayette Street, Chicopee, MA 01020. For those who prefer, his family requests that memorial donations be made in his memory to Memorials Processing, Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 Saint Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959. For more details, please visit: www.stpierrephaneuf.com