Br. Ernest Paquet

BROTHER ERNEST PAQUET, FIC (1925-2023) The Brothers of Christian Instruction mourn the loss of Brother Ernest Paquet, who passed into the loving arms of the Lord on April 21, 2023, at the tender age of 98. Since March of 2018 he had been a resident of Bethany Home, a skilled long-term facility in Canton, OH. He was born on Feb. 23, 1925 in Biddeford, ME to Ernest and Marie Antoinette (Gendron) Paquet. Brother Ernest Paquet joined the Brothers of Christian Instruction after graduating in 1941 as valedictorian of St. Louis High School, Biddeford. “I found them to be a happy group, and I said, that’s the life for me.” Brother Ernest spent five years in Canada in formation and teaching before moving to Africa in 1947 to spend more than 25 years in missionary service in Tanzania (10 years), in Uganda (15 years), followed by two years in Kenya. After leaving Africa, Brother Ernest spent six years teaching in Southampton, England. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Classics from the University of Montreal, a Master of Science in Mathematics, and a master’s degree in computer science. By special invitation of Walsh College President Brother Francis Blouin, Brother Ernest returned to the United States to join the faculty of the Ohio college (now University) to launch the computer science program in 1981. He chaired that department until his retirement in 2000. Often described as wiry and energetic, enthusiastic and cheerful, Br. Ernest’s attitude was explained simply through his unwavering faith in God. He put it best when he said, “You have to remember that God is going to win in the end. So, you know you are on the winning side. That can help you keep a cheerful nature.” He was awarded the Walsh University Distinguished Founders' Award in 2009, an honor that recognizes those who have lived their lives with the same ideals that inspired the founders of the Brothers of Christian Instruction: faith in God, fidelity to the Catholic Church, active concern for Christian Education, dedication to authentic social justice, and courageous promotion of human welfare, especially among those less fortunate and disenfranchised. In 2012, the Walsh University Alumni Association awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to Walsh’s students and graduates. He was predeceased by his six sibling sisters: Anne Marie Danforth, Therese Chabot, Genevieve Tremblay, Martha Francoise, Denise Thibeault, Monica Thibeau. He is fondly remembered by his religious confreres and many nieces and nephews. A funeral will be held at the Notre Dame Chapel at the Brothers of Christian Instruction in Alfred, Maine on Saturday May 6th at 10:30 AM. A Memorial Tribute will be held on the Walsh U. campus at a later date in coordination with the Brothers of Christian Instruction. In lieu of flowers, friends may donate to the Brothers of Christian Instruction Endowed Scholarship Fund in his honor at www.walsh.edu/give . Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale.