Remembering an educator, a mentor, a friend and one heck of a principal

Butch Bouchard, left, and Bob DiPoli, a former fire chief in Massachusetts and co-worker of Bouchard's at a Naples, Fla., golf course, share a laugh on the course. (Courtesy photo/Bob DiPoli)

When Joanne Houston arrived to interview for band director at Spaulding High School in 1984 she was led by the chorus director to the office of Principal Robert Bouchard, who was doing the hiring.
"The chorus teacher says, 'She's her to interview for the band job' and he goes, 'What band job, there's no band job,'" Houston recalled on Thursday.
"I said, well, it was a nice drive from Vermont, and it was really nice to meet you," quipped Houston, who went on to be hired by Bouchard leading the band and music department till she retired last year.
Bouchard, revered by students and respected by colleagues during his 23 years as SHS principal, died on March 2.
Houston recalled Bouchard, known fondly as "Butch" by friends and family, was always a jokester, including when he returned last June to help celebrate Houston's retirement at the 2021 graduation ceremony.
"He always said he'd learned the lesson that he shouldn't make the faculty listen to him more than an hour," Houston said, "so he opens his speech with, 'I promise this won't go more than 58 minutes!'"
According to his obituary, Bouchard lived by John C. Maxwell's quote, "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
"He was always about other people. He treated the faculty at Spaulding like family," said Houston who remembers attending Christmas get-togethers at the Bouchard's home that would be attended by around 100 educators.
Remembrances of love and devotion poured in on social media earlier this week from educators and friends, who recalled his empathy and kindness.
"So incredibly sad to see this," wrote Howie Drolet, a former teacher and athletic director at Nute High and Middle School in Milton and SHS alum, "Mr. Bouchard exemplified all of the qualities of an excellent educational leader. He was kind, compassionate, firm but fair and held himself and those around him to high standards. Even in a school as big as Spaulding, he knew everyone by name and greeted us all, every day with 'Good morning.' There are several members in my 'Hall of Fame' of influential people and Butch Bouchard was one of them. An amazing soul and one hell of a great dude. You will be missed, but you have left your mark my friend."
Bouchard graduated from the former Holy Rosary High School, Rochester, in 1958, according to his obituary. He then went on to graduate from St. Anselm College, Manchester, earning a Bachelor of Arts in history.
While at Holy Rosary High, he was a standout baseball and basketball player, serving as a two-year captain for both the baseball and basketball teams. While at Holy Rosary, his teams went 80-8 in basketball and 25-3 in baseball. After high school, Butch went on to play basketball at St. Anselm College. In 2009, he was honored with the induction into the Rochester Sports Hall of Fame.

After his retirement in 1997, Butch and his wife Judy divided their time between their residences in Naples, Fla., and Stratham, N.H. While in Naples, he enjoyed his time with friends and co-workers at Naples Lakes Country Club.

Bouchard leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Judith (Hanover) Bouchard; a son and two daughters.
Calling hours will be on Sunday, March 13, 2022, from 1-4 p.m. at Edgerly Funeral Home, Rochester, N.H.
A funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary's Church, 71 Lowell St., Rochester, NH on Monday, March 14, 2022, at 11 a.m.
To live stream the Funeral Mass go to http://facebook.com/stmarychurchnh