by Joe Long, Director of Alumni Relations

Nelson and Gwen Paquette, PSU Homecoming 2003. Photo by Eric B. Howell.

When you think about Plymouth, do you think about your friends from Mary Lyon Hall or Pemi dorm? Do you remember the guy you traveled with to all those soccer games at Eastern Connecticut? Do you fondly recall the woman who tutored you in anatomy and physiology class and ended up marrying your friend?

When I think about my friends at Plymouth, I think of the many men and women I have met over my first two years here and the impact they have had on me. One such friend is no longer with us. On October 27, 2003, Nelson Paquette passed away in Chelmsford, Mass., while playing golf. Nelson was a man of great conviction and unwavering dedication to Plymouth State, whose physical stature was exceeded only by his spiritual presence. To know Nelson was to be loved by him.

In 1999, Nelson was part of a small group of Plymouth alums who helped pave the way for the Boston Alumni Chapter. In the summer of 2001, Nelson was appointed to the alumni association’s board of directors and was a driving force behind the great work they have done over the last few years. In 2002, he helped start another chapter in the greater seacoast area. It seems like everything Nelson was associated with was a success.

My last memory of Nelson is sitting in the Sunset Room at the Owl’s Nest Golf Course after we finished playing in the Dearborn Golf Classic during Homecoming weekend. He and his wife, Gwen, were sitting with me and 50 other people watching the end of the Patriots/Dolphins game. When the game entered overtime, I decided it was time to leave and proceeded to thank Nelson and Gwen for coming. In typical Nelson fashion, he stood up, engulfed my hand in his enormous hand, looked me in the eye and told me how much he enjoyed the day and what a great time he and Gwen had. At that moment, I felt like we were the only two people in that room. Nelson had a way of making you feel like you were always receiving every bit of his attention. I thanked him, said goodbye to Gwen and went to my car. Nelson and Gwen were right behind me, and when they passed my car, Nelson reminded me to take care and be careful. That is my last memory of Nelson, making sure I would take care of myself and be careful. Many people have more fantastic stories of Nelson (we will not get into the one involving a car, a skeleton and Rounds Hall), but all of us have one thing in common: Nelson Paquette affected our lives—through his generosity, his presence and his deep bellowing laugh.

Now we have the opportunity to keep that spirit alive and pass his inspiration on to others. In November, the board of directors voted unanimously to name one of the PSUAA undergraduate scholarships in memory of Nelson Paquette. We are still establishing the criteria and finding our way through the process, but we do know one thing: the student who receives this scholarship will have mighty big shoes to fill. If you would like to make a donation to this PSUAA Alumni Scholarship fund, you can do so by sending your donation to the alumni office and putting Nelson’s name in the memo.

Thanks for letting me tell you just a little bit about a man who made a big difference. I hope when I see Nelson again some day, he’ll tell me that he has been striking the ball well, hitting the fairways and sinking his putts in one.