It is with great sadness that we share news of the death of our beloved friend and longtime contributor to LymeLine, John Guy Laplante.
I first met John when we were both working at the now-shuttered Main Street News in Essex. He wrote an enormously popular column titled Senior Moments and brought an always interesting and often alternative perspective to our lively, Monday morning newsroom meetings. In general, he wrote about whatever took his fancy in those columns, but during my time at the paper, he wrote mostly about his extensive travels around the world.
He wrote news stories, he wrote articles, he wrote columns, he wrote books … he wrote and he wrote and he wrote!
I met him before he set off for Ukraine as the oldest Peace Corps volunteer in history and, of course … he continued writing!
We published many of John’s columns from Ukraine here on LymeLine (find them on the Senior Moments tab under Columnists in the banner heading above) — they described in detail his remarkable activities and fascinating travels during his service. I have no doubt he would absolutely devastated by the current situation in that country.
It is hard to put into words the extraordinary impact John had on me — he was supportive of my journalistic endeavors from beginning to end. In what turned out to be his last phone call, he was still encouraging me to start a new online newspaper where we are now living!
He kept in touch through all his adventures including his cross-country journey from the west to east US coasts in a van, and ultimately his decision to move to Morro Bay, Calif. to be near his daughter and son-in-law. And in a somewhat unanticipated turn of events, my husband even ended up driving John’s car from Deep River, Conn. to Morro Bay, and so was able to visit with John in his final home.
John continued to keep in regular contact through early February of this year, scheduling separate phone calls with both Nigel and myself, which were always chock-full of his most recent ideas and experiences.
John was an inspiration in so many ways — he was passionate about every aspect of life, and each and every person he met along the way. It was a privilege to know him and an honor to count him as a very dear friend.
You will be sadly missed, John, but as your son Mark says so aptly in your ‘official’ obituary, which we have published below, ‘What a life you lived!’
Obituary: John Guy – What a Life He Lived!
By Mark Laplante
April 26, 1929 – February 13, 2022
John Guy Laplante (né Jean Guy) passed away quietly in his sleep, which was his wish, on February 13th, 2022.
He was born in 1929 to Marguerite (Bourke) and J. Arthur Laplante in Pawtucket, RI. As immigrants from Quebec, his parents wanted to provide John with the best opportunities, so John began his fourth grade at the Sacred Heart Academy boarding school in Sharon, MA. There, French-speaking priests educated him. John was an excellent student and always eagerly visited with his parents on Sundays. John continued his secondary education at Assumption Preparatory School in Worcester, MA, where instruction was French-oriented and often given in French.
A story John was proud to tell was that L’Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste d’Amerique (USJB), a Franco-American benefit society, provided full scholarships to Assumption College to one student from each New England state based on a difficult written exam entirely in French. John received the highest score in Rhode Island, and so did another boy. It was a tie! USJB decided to provide two Rhode Island scholarships that year. And so it was that John continued his French-focused education, graduating magna cum laude.
John developed a strong interest in writing and journalism. An Assumptionist priest told him that studying economics would be excellent training to be a journalist. Dutifully, he began graduate studies in economics at Brown University in 1952. He hated his courses and spent his free time volunteering at the school’s newspaper. A year later, he transferred to Boston University, where he earned a master’s degree in journalism. His career of dipping his quill in the inkwell and scrawling his thoughts across the page had begun.
John was an engaged and supportive father to his three children, raising them with his former wife, Pauline Dupre, in Auburn, MA. He was always ready with advice and strongly encouraged his children to invest in their formal and informal education. He instilled in his children a strong sense that life is full of adventure, and they should readily pursue it.
John worked for years at the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, rising to become editor of the Feature Parade Sunday Magazine. He wrote a column on camping which had an avid readership. He used that column to fund a summer tent-trailer trip around the United States with his family, writing articles wherever they went.
Ultimately, John left newspapers to become the director of public affairs at Assumption College, and then years after struck out on his own. The public relations firm John Guy Laplante Associates got off the ground in 1972, with USJB becoming one of John’s launch clients. John ran the firm successfully for fifteen years while building a real estate portfolio on the side.
John became involved with Elderhostel at Incarnation Camp, Deep River, CT, in his retirement. He loved teaching courses there, as well as captaining the Love Boat. He also met close friend and companion, Annabelle Williams, or as John called her, “Milady Annabelle.”
Central Connecticut became John’s second home, where he became an active member of the Deep River community. He was heavily involved with the Rotary Club, spearheading the installation of Keyboard Park and the elephant statue in front of the town hall. Rotary presented John with the Paul Harris award, their highest honor. Ever the journalist, John continued to contribute articles to the local Main Street News.
While at a concert at the Coast Guard Academy, John felt deep regret that he never served his country. He resolved to change that by joining the Peace Corps. Chernihiv, Ukraine, became his destination. Though he faced many challenges there, he completed his tour, becoming the oldest volunteer in the Corps. Volunteers in Ukraine elected John to represent them when the vice president visited Kyiv, where he memorably shook hands with Joe Biden.
John had many passions and interests; swimming, sailing, canoeing, biking, exploring. He was a voracious reader who adored libraries and dabbled in watercolors, poetry, and chess. Inspired by Robinson Crusoe, he loved to build things and tinker. Always looking to make improvements, he even designed a better johnny, his MedGown.
His one true calling was writing. He threw himself into it with energy and enthusiasm, writing hundreds of articles and blogs and three books about his adventures traveling the world and serving in the Peace Corps. Even at the end, after choosing hospice, John characteristically said, “I want to write a blog about this. I think it would interest people.”
John was intensely curious about people and, through his many travels, developed a vast network of friends around the globe with whom he regularly corresponded. Those connections meant so much to John.
His parents, his sisters Louise and Rose, and his brother Michel predeceased John. His sister Lucie survives him.
John leaves behind a close and loving family: Son Arthur, wife Marita, grandchildren Elise, Ryan and wife Samantha, Thomas, and great-granddaughter Allegra Laplante. Daughter Monique, husband David, step-grandson Christopher, and great-granddaughter Ruby Nelson. Son Mark and grandchildren Annalivia and Lincoln Laplante. Nephew Jean-Christophe and nieces Cristin and Michelle.
John always said that he would come back as a seagull if reincarnated. Keep an eye out.
John’s cremated remains will be buried at Notre Dame Cemetery in Pawtucket, RI. A memorial service is being arranged. If interested in attending, please email [email protected].
I loved his stories! Engaging and heartfelt.
A lovely writer!
My condolences to his family.
Will miss his stories.
I will miss his stories. They brought comfort and knowledge.
A wonderful writer.
My condolences to his family.