Eugene E. Loubier

READING, Mass. – Eugene E. Loubier of Reading, Massachusetts passed away on Aug. 4, 2021.

Gene was born in Waterville, Maine on May 16, 1933 to Gratianna LaVerdiere Loubier and Joseph Loubier. They lived at 58 Summer Street in Waterville. Gene’s mother died soon after Gene was born. Gene’s father Joe married Alice Dunn of Waterville when Gene was around five years old. “Dunny” was Gene’s beloved mother for the rest of his life. Dunny owned and operated the Grace & Ideal Beauty Shop in downtown Waterville for many years. Gene had two elder siblings, brother Bill and sister Cleo who predeceased him. He is survived by his younger brother, Bob, of Snowmass, Colorado.

Gene spoke French at home and learned English attending public school in Waterville. The family attended Notre Dame Catholic Church. Gene played hockey and graduated from Waterville High School in 1951. He studied business at Burdett College in Boston starting in 1951. Gene met his future wife, Phyllis May Lasselle of Unity, Maine, at a YMCA dance in Boston where Phyllis attended Fisher Junior College. Gene enlisted in the US Army and served from 1953 to 1955 as a communications specialist, including a deployment to Germany. After his service, Gene and Phyllis were married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Waterville in 1955. Gene and Phyllis were married for 66 years and had three children, Gregg, Randy, and Jane.

Gene received a bachelor’s degree in business from Clark University in 1957 and a master’s degree in health care administration in 1972 from the University of Minnesota. Gene and Phyllis turned his year of master’s degree education in Minnesota into a family adventure by touring forty states from coast-to-coast in a small camper with the family and a pet rabbit named Robbie.

Gene and Phyllis lived for over thirty-five years in Reading, Massachusetts until his death. For many years, they gathered with family at their vacation home on Lake Horace in Weare, New Hampshire, where Gene enjoyed taking the family on boat rides and doing anything the grandkids wanted to do. Gene was an avid Boston sports fan, especially the Bruins and the Red Sox. He loved tending to his lush gardens of flowers, tomatoes, cucumbers and raspberries. Gene liked to hunt, play bridge, fly fish, ice fish, play golf, tinker around the houses on projects, pick blueberries, and raise and harvest raspberries in his garden. Gene could be found at the lobster pound and in the kitchen with Phyllis treating the family to a meal of big lobsters and steamers with butter.

Gene had a long and distinguished career as a leader and mentor in hospital administration at Sister’s Hospital in Waterville; as president of Rumford Community Hospital; Administrative Director of Maine Medical Center in Portland; president of Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts; and president of Winchester Hospital in Massachusetts. Gene and Phyllis went around the world with health care executives in 1984 to China, Russia and Lithuania on a “People to People” good will tour of health care facilities in the host countries. After retirement in 1994, Gene served on the board of directors of the Reading Cooperative Bank in Massachusetts, and he was the co-founder and board president of Angel Flight Northeast.

Gene actively contributed to his community through many other civic engagements, including the Maine Hospital Association, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, American College of Hospital Executives, and the New England Hospital Assembly. He volunteered with Kiwanis, the Masons and the United Way Foundation.

Gene is survived by his wife Phyllis who lives in North Andover, Massachusetts; brother Bob Loubier and his wife Judi; son Gregg and his wife Leslie of Altadena, California; son Randy and his wife Judy of New Boston, New Hampshire; daughter Jane Epstein and her husband Mark of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and many nieces and nephews, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A graveside service with military honors will be held for Gene on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 at 11:00 am at St. Francis Cemetery, 78 Grove Street, Waterville, Maine. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. There are no visiting hours. For on line guest book, visit http://www.johnbdouglassfuneralhome.com.