HOULTON, Maine — A former Houlton coach and physical education teacher, who guided the Shire boys basketball team for several years in the 1980s, died Wednesday, May 2, in a Boston hospital after a battle with cancer.
Brian Paul Plourde, 57, of Dresden, also resided in Rockland, Houlton, and Waterville. He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in October 2017 and underwent extensive chemotherapy treatments in his fight against the cancer.
Plourde “fought an incredible battle with this disease and he impressed us all with his unending positive attitude,” his daughter Hannah said Friday.
Plourde died at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston due to complications from a stem cell transplant he received only a few days prior.
Born on Aug. 3, 1960, in Waterville to parents Carroll and Kathleen Sylvia Plourde (Hamel), Plourde graduated from Waterville High School in 1978 and was active in many sports throughout his childhood. Pursuing his passion for playing baseball, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and then went on to the University of Maine at Orono, enjoying pitching for both school baseball teams.
He started his teaching and coaching career in Houlton, a town that held a special place in his heart even though he moved away several years ago, Hannah said. It was in Houlton that he first settled down and started a family. Both of his daughters, Hannah and Laura, were born in Houlton when he was married to Kim Reardon.
“He had his hands in just about everything sports, from coaching to umpiring and refereeing,” Hannah said. “One of his finest projects was creating a Babe Ruth league and vastly improving Houlton’s baseball facilities. This program had a profound impact on Houlton’s youth for years to come.”
In addition to teaching, Plourde coached the boys basketball team at Houlton High School from 1984 to 1990. He worked for SAD 29 for 17 years before relocating to Rockland to become its athletic director.
“His major goal for this new position was to to improve the playing fields, doing most of the work himself,” Hannah said. “He quickly made friends in the area and discovered his love of the ocean. He was able to try his hand at hauling lobster traps and enjoyed being a part of the Lobster Boat Races.”
Plourde also taught health at both the high school and middle school levels in the Rockland school district, which later became Oceanside High School. Plourde was heavily involved in the Special Olympics program in that area and volunteered at the Maine Lobster Festival, eventually serving as president of the festival for two years.
Rob Moran of Houlton both played and later coached under Plourde. Moran went on to coach the Houlton boys basketball team for four seasons (2011-12 to 2014-15) and brought that same attention to detail to his preparation for the game.
Moran said he was saddened to hear of his former mentor’s passing.
“Coach Plourde certainly was fun to play for,” Moran said. “I also coached JV (junior varsity) under him and he was very supportive toward me. At that time, (late 1980’s) I was considered young for a JV coach. Brian gave me my first opportunity as a JV coach and helped me as a mentor. I know he did a ton for the community in Rockland as well.”
Richard Fournier, a Houlton native who now resides in the Bangor area, said he remembers Plourde as an “old school” type of coach. Fournier played for Plourde for three seasons, until his graduation in 1989.
“He was very detail oriented and his practices were very well organized,” Fournier said. “He knew his stuff.”
Terry Cummings, boys basketball coach at Presque Isle High School, played for three seasons under coach Plourde in Houlton from 1984-85 to 1986-87.
“I was very upset to hear of Coach Plourde’s passing,” Cummings said. “I remember when he became our coach my sophomore year. We had some good young players, but were a year away from being really good. We lost some really close games that year.”
Cummings said his junior year the Shires went 15-3 under Plourde and went into the tournament as the No. 1 seed. Houlton lost in the semifinals to Rockland. His senior year, Houlton finished 13-5 and went into the tournament as the No. 5 seed. Houlton upset No. 4 Mount Desert Island in the quarterfinals, but lost to eventual state champion Mt. View in the semifinals.
“I really liked and respected Coach Plourde and it was a privilege to play for him,” Cummings said. “He challenged me to be a better player and most importantly a better person. He taught me so much in those three years. It really helped shape me and I learned so many valuable life lessons that I still use today with the student-athletes that I now coach.”
Cummings recalled seeing Plourde a few years ago while both were in Houlton over the Fourth of July. “We reminisced about the old days and had a great conversation,” Cummings said. “He had so much confidence in me as a player and as a person. Thank you coach for the impact that you had on my life! I will never forget you.”
Plourde leaves behind a wife, Diane, whom he married in August of 2015 and two adult children, Hannah and Laura and a stepson Matthew Snell.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at the Burpee, Carpenter and Hutchins Funeral Home in Rockland.
