Laurie Blacquiere Many GHS classmates will remember Laurie Blacquiere as a very outgoing fellow - always with a crowd around him - but few know that he transferred from Notre Dame High School to Gardner High School. Following graduation, Laurie attended the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMASS where he majored in Ornamental Horticulture. He then enlisted in the United States Air Force. Upon discharge he went to work for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, CT. In 1966 he left to return to Gardner and took on the task of expanding the Gardner Munical Golf Course from nine to eighteen holes. March of 1970 marked the beginning of Laurie's long career as a firefighter in the Citty of Gardner which included earning an Associates Degree in Fire Science Technology. Laurie retired from the Fire Department in 2001, but still maintains a few horticulture accounts and enjoys doing work on his own property. Laurie and his wife have been married for 43 years and now live in Otter River. They have two adult boys and five grandchildren ranging in years from 17 to three. "The last one is a wonderful little girl after four boys," says Laurie.
Laurie has been a member of the Gardner Lions Club for forty years. He was chosen to receive a "Melvin Jones" fellowship - the highest award given to a Lion at the local level. Laurie is curretly the chairman of the sight and hearing committee. He has also volunteered three years of service with other businesses for construction of the Gardner Animal Hospotal on West Broadway.
Laurie is one of 28 other GHS Class of 1960 classmates currently on Facebook. You can contact him there or send a message to him via ghsclassof1960@gmail.com.
Editor's note: Laurie J. Blackquiere, age 67, died on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at UMASS Medical Center in Worcester.
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