Page 42 - Fall 2025

One Man’s Pride in His

Town and Heritage

By Linda Lougee

Editor’s Note: In my dual role as Editor of The North Star door. The clothing store was always having a sale and
Magazine and Executive Director of the Houlton High there was always something that would fit him. The
School Alumni Association , I come across stories like men were watching out for him. When we were at
this and I always find it amazing that despite personal class reunions, they did not know George lived as he
hardships the folks always think about their time in did.
Houlton and have the ability to find the good in their life
experiences to share with us and to continue to be “proud The men continued to help him and told him about
of Houlton and their heritage” as Mrs. Lougee refers to. a class in Radiology at Peter Brent Brigham that was
They could very well be bitter. All are great role models for free, so he applied and went to school. He was a
the rest of us alums. Thank you for sharing this with us, department manager, and I was also. Our Kodak film
Mrs. Lougee. reps introduced us, and we were married for over 46
years.
To Houlton High School Alumni Association – Lifetime
Membership He was a self-made man who was so proud of Houlton
and his heritage. He retired from Mass General
RE: George Lougee Lifetime Membership Hospital. We moved to Newport, ME. Every year we
visited Houlton and when we were working on our
George was in the Class of 1953. We went to the bucket list he had many stories about Houlton.
reunions and funerals of his classmates. Every year we
traveled to Houlton. George felt he owed his success to I was born in Sherman Mills but grew up in South
Houlton. Portland and trained in Radiology at Mercy Hospital.
He never forgot where he was from and was so proud
He was the oldest in a family of four boys. His dad of Houlton.
went off to war, met another woman and never came
home. His mother got a job in Presque Isle and George I am sending in to have him be a lifetime member from
was not going. His mother found a room in a rooming the Class of ’53. I wanted you to know how highly he
house. He said it was $13.00 a week. He got a job in thought of Houlton.
the drug store. There was a men’s clothing store next

Waiting to hit the course for

the Alumni Scramble

L to R: Dennis Wright ‘71, Rick Goodwin ‘70, Andrew Peabody ‘96, and
Ben Goodwin ‘96

Photo courtesy of Karen Eleiott Donato ‘69

42 www.houltonalumni.com