Leo J. "Pete" Plourde

Pete died July 26th at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center surrounded by his family. He was born March 7,1928 to Leo H & Arthemise (Daigneault) Plourde. He grew up in Bennington, Vermont where he attended Bennington High School. He played football, basketball, & baseball graduating in 1947. He was picked for the Vermont First Team All-State halfback that year.

After high school, Pete attended Cushing Academy for 1 year where he played football and ran track.

Pete went on to St Michael’s College where he graduated in 1952 with a BS in Business Administration. He played football all 4 years and was part of the undefeated 1951 Purple Knights team. The team was declared both New England and Vermont State Champions. He was voted All-New England fullback that year. This St Mike’s undefeated team was inducted into the St Michael’s Hall of Fame. He married Anna Margaret “Peg” Ashton in 1952 and they had three children.

Pete was drafted into the Army after college, during the Korean War era, and was stationed at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington where he ran the Officers’ Mess Club and played football for the 44th Division Army team. After discharge from the Army, he remained in the Army Reserves until 1960. He then went back to St Michael’s College in 1954 where he worked for George “Doc” Jacobs as assistant Athletic Director, freshmen basketball &boxing coach while completing a MA degree in Education.

After completing his Master’s degree, he moved back to Bennington where he helped his father with the family car dealership and coached football for three years at Bennington Catholic High School.

In 1960, Pete moved to Connecticut and started the football program at St Bernard’s High School in New London. He taught business classes, coached golf, track, & was the assistant basketball coach for a season. He was also the bus driver taking the team to both practices & games for the first few years. Wild rides the guys will long remember! During that time, he started the Booster Club which was instrumental in assisting with the new football field at the current location of St Bernard’s in Uncasville. Pete was the SBHS Athletic Director from 1963 until 1973. He left St Bernard’s in 1973. Pete was inducted into the SBHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

After leaving St Bernard’s, Pete went to work at Montville High School where he taught business classes, coached football and golf, and was the Athletic Director. He retired in 1993.

Retirement did not slow Pete down. He raised and trained black lab retrievers and competed with them in field trials all over the US & Canada up until the Covid pandemic. In his spare time, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, skeet shooting, going to snowboarding competitions to cheer on his granddaughters & playing cards.

Pete always had a competitive nature whether it was playing sports, playing cards, or dog competitions. He & Peg were thrilled & so proud of his granddaughter, Jamie Anderson , when she won two Olympic Gold Medals & a Silver Medal in Snowboarding events at two different Olympic Games.

Pete mentored many young men that he coached as well as people new to the lab retriever games. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

He was predeceased by his wife of 63 years, his parents, sister Jean Cardinal, and many aunts & uncles.

He is survived by his children Ann Jennings (David), Lauren Anderson, Peter (Lynn) as well as 14 grandchildren, and 23 great grandchildren plus one on the way.

Family and friends may visit Montville Funeral Home of Church and Allen, 53 Norwich-New London Turnpike, Uncasville, CT on Monday, August 24th from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. John Church, 22 Maple Ave., Uncasville, CT on Tuesday, August 25th at 10:00 AM. Burial will be held for Pete and Peg at 11:00 AM on Thursday, August 27th at Calvary Cemetery in Northfield, VT.