Richard W. LaPlant

Richard leaves his children: Gregory LaPlant and his wife Susan (Sands) of Brewster, MA; Julia (LaPlant) Temple and her husband David of South Easton, MA; Jennifer LaPlant and her partner Bryant Howard of North Eastham, MA; Colleen (LaPlant) Watson and her partner Christopher Taylor of North Eastham, MA; Michael LaPlant and his partner Courtney McGinnis of Ogdensburg, NY; and Joyce LaPlant of Eastham, MA. Richard also leaves 8 grandchildren; Samuel LaPlant and Daniel LaPlant; David Temple Jr., Mary (Temple) and husband Waymon Christian McBride, Elizabeth Temple; Bryana Howard, Emmamae Howard; and Ethan McGinnis. He also leaves one great-grandchild Evee Mae McBride.

Richard is survived by his brother Robert and Sister-in-law Joann LaPlant; and sister-in-law Christine Bassett, brother-in-laws Gerard Devlin; Roland Kelley and his wife Carol (Durling) and John Schaaf. He is predeceased by his parents Walter and Doris (Cutts) LaPlant and his sister Carolyn (LaPlant) Schaaf.

Richard was born in Windsor, VT on January 27, 1942. He spent much of his childhood in Windsor, VT, West Lebanon and Newport, NH. Dick graduated from Dracut High School in 1961 where he excelled in sports playing varsity football and basketball. Following graduation he attended Wayne State College in Nebraska pursuing a career in physical education. He had also enlisted in the Navy and served active duty from 1960 to 1964. He was assigned to the USS Cromwell during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1969 he graduated from Plymouth State College/University N.H. with a Bachelors of Arts. He began his teaching career in Lincoln, NH moving to Ashland, NH where he continued to teach elementary grades. In 1970 he became teaching principal of Cornish Central School in Cornish, NH. In 1973 he joined the teaching staff at the Eastham Elementary School where over the years he taught grades 2 through 5, educating children until his retirement (due to Parkinson’s Disease) in 2000. There was never a Halloween that he did not dress up or a Christmas that he didn’t have that special tie. Taking time to write a note of encouragement to a new teacher he demonstrated kindness in his own quiet way. He had the ability to search out the good in people.

Dick was a part time member of the Eastham Police Department, a member of Universal Masonic Lodge, and he served as Dad Advisor of Orleans Assembly #90 Rainbow for Girls, Knights of Pythias Cape Cod Lodge #28 and had been a member of the Lower Cape Kiwanis. He was a long standing member of the Eastham United Methodist Church. He enjoyed watching his Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox and followed them faithfully. He loved teaching children both at home and in the school system. He always found a way to make every situation into a learning experience.

A memorial service will be held at the Eastham United Methodist Church, 3200 State Highway, Eastham, MA on Monday, June 11, 2012 at 11:00AM. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Eastham, MA. His humor, wit, and generosity of spirit will be missed. In lieu of flowers the family would like donations to be made to the foundation for Fragile X Research. For online codolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com