2019 Biddeford Hall of Fame
Dr. Norman Beaupré July 7, 1935 - present
Norman Beaupré was born in Southern Maine and grew up speaking French in Biddeford, Maine. He did his undergraduate studies at St. Francis College in Biddeford Pool and then moved on to Brown University for graduate work and received his Ph.D. in French literature in 1974.
In 2000, he became Professor Emeritus after 30 years of teaching Francophone and World Literature at the University of New England. Traveling extensively, he spent two sabbaticals in Europe where he got the inspiration for several of his books.
Locally, Dr. Beaupré’s contributions include serving as president of the La Kermesse Festival in its early years, coordinating Pastoral Care Services at Southern Maine Medical Center as well as serving as director of the Francophone Center, St. Francis College.
Beaupré writes in French and in English. His first book, L’Enclume et le Couteau – the Life and Works of Adelard Coté, was published in 1982 by the National Materials Development Center in Bedford, N.H. It is now being reprinted.
Dr. Beaupré has just published his 24th book entitled Of Boa Constrictors, Elephants and Imaginary Whales: Cautionary Tales, a set of cautionary tales of the creative imagination that remind the reader that sometimes one needs to be cautious about what one does or hears. He has also received numerous awards and recognition in France, Canada and the USA for his works.
Monsignor Arthur Decary 10/12/1872 – 12/30/1957 and Father Zénon Decary 6/15/1870 – 7/26/1940
Arthur Decary and his brother Zénon grew up in a wealthy Montreal family. Both became priests and came to Biddeford as missionaries transplanted to the French-Canadian community. Both men were deeply loved and revered by their parishioners.
In order to embody his dreams and concerns, Monsignor Arthur Decary drew upon family financial resources as well as contributions.With the money, he established programs for children, child care for mothers, an elementary school with a convent for teachers and the Stella Maris (Star of the Sea) orphanage. He also founded the St. Andre’s Home for unwed mothers and Notre Dame Hospital, Marie Joseph Academy and the St. Francis College for young men. The institutions provided necessary services of health, education and welfare. In addition, they all also helped to transmit a French-Quebec heritage and language. Together Monsignor Arthur and Father Zénon were a source of support and a protection for people caught in the ambiguous and often devious promise of the United States as a land of opportunity.
An important footnote to the history of the Decary brothers: Father Zénon Decary is revered by many who are following his cause as a healer because, from many accounts, he was responsible for hundreds of cures and other events which defy explanation. His legacy as a devout Roman Catholic religious priest is documented and preserved as a potential cause for beatification.
Monsignor Arthur Decary
Father Zénon Decary
Dr. Andre Fortier
6/6/1920 – 10/16/2008
In 1949 Dr. Fortier opened his practice in Biddeford serving the community until 1995 retiring at the age of 75. His daughter, Marie LaBrecque reflects: “The one thing I would love to mention about my dad was how he perceived his work as a doctor…He always said that being a doctor was a vocation, not a business. He always took care of the poor, regardless of whether they could pay him or not. He did house calls for free. He never charged the religious sisters and clergy (of any denomination) that he treated. He delivered hundreds of babies for single unwed mothers at St. Andre’s Home for free. And when he closed his office, he closed his books, never looking at them. He didn’t want to have to be chasing people for money and he didn’t want to be upset by any outstanding bills. He felt that he, in taking care of the poor, was none the poorer for it. He took care of God’s people and God in turn took care of him. I so admire his care for the poor. I thought I would share that with you.”
Bernard Osher
September 7, 1927 - present
Bernard Osher, a respected businessman and community leader, started The Bernard Osher Foundation in 1977 which seeks to improve quality of life through support for higher education and the arts.
A native of Biddeford, Maine and a graduate of Bowdoin College, Osher has pursued a successful career in business, beginning with the management of his family’s hardware and plumbing supplies store in Maine and continuing with work at Oppenheimer & Company in New York before moving to California. There he became a founding director of World Savings, the second largest savings institution in the United States when it was purchased by the Wachovia Corporation in 2006. A collector of American paintings of the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries, Osher purchased the fine art auction house of Butterfield & Butterfield in 1970 and oversaw its growth to become the fourth largest auction house in the world. In 1999, he sold the company to eBay.
Bernard Osher has been affiliated with a number of philanthropic and non-profit boards and currently serves as vice-chair of the American Himalayan Foundation. He is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Class of 2009). He also is a serious student of opera and an ardent fly fisherman. He and his wife Barbro Osher, Honorary Consul General of Sweden in California, conduct their philanthropy through The Bernard Osher Foundation, The Bernard Osher Jewish Philanthropies Fund, and The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.
Joseph A. Plamondon (Joe Plamondon) 1/1/1928 – 5/7/1983
Joe Plamondon was born and grew up in Springvale, Maine. His first teaching job was at Kennebunk High School teaching Problems of Democracy and Civics. In the early 60’s he taught History, Government, Sociology and Psychology at Biddeford High School; with his strong military background he was often referred to as “G.I. Joe” by many of his students. In 1967 he earned a fellowship to study for a master’s degree at Syracuse University. After returning to his teaching position at Biddeford High School,he was one of the founders and the first director of the school’s Cooperative Education Program. Mr. Joe Plamondon helped establish the Parents, Friends and Teachers Association (PFTA) at St. Andre’s School. He was a founder of the agency that later became York County Counseling Services. He also assisted in the formation of the York County Community Action Corporation to provide services for the county’s low income residents. Joe worked on plans for a model cities program for Biddeford and the creation of the Biddeford Vocational Technical School. He served as a director of Biddeford’s Neighborhood Youth Corps which gave low income students summer job opportunities. The Youth Corps worked on projects at Clifford Park, Rotary Park, constructed park benches and picnic tables for the benefit of the citizens of the City of Biddeford. As a result of his vision and plans for a cultural center and the recognition of Franco-Americans and other ethnicities within the city, prior to his passing in May of 1983, Mr. Plamondon labored to set the plans for “La Kermesse” a festival to celebrate the Franco-American heritage in the City. He had set up enough for this small group to move the festival forward with the first festival taking place in July of 1983, shortly after his passing.