Maurice J. Chabot G’65 died on April 17, 2019, in Saco, Maine.
(The following was published in the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram on April 21, 2019:)
Maurice “Mo” J. Chabot, 81, of Saco, Maine died peacefully on April 17, 2019, after a year-long battle with ALS. He leaves behind a loving wife of 60 years, Meredyth Anne Cleaves Chabot. Additionally, he leaves behind a son, Christopher Chabot and wife Heather of Campton, NH; a daughter Kimberly Chabot of Saco; a daughter Kelly Chabot Moore and husband Jim of Bridgton. He was also blessed with ten grandchildren, Delaney, Andrew, Sierra, Lindsay, Ryan, Tanner, Cassidy, Nicholas, Stephanie, and Jacob; and nine great-grandchildren, Brayden, Liam, Lucas, Emjae, Audriana, Olivia, Gwendolyn, Zuri, and Juliana, all who affectionately called him “Bumpa.” He is also survived by his sister Anne Chabot of Portland; his brother Robert Chabot, and his wife Jerry from California; his brother Francis Chabot and his wife Waynetta from Exeter, Maine; his brother Gerard Chabot and his wife Jackie from New Hampshire. He was predeceased by his parents and two brothers, Douglas and Leonard Chabot. Maurice was born on his family’s farm in Dexter, Maine, to Alice (Fanjoy) and Louis J. Chabot and was the oldest in a family of seven. He liked to regale his grandchildren of the hard work that he did on the farm when he was young they all enjoyed Bumpa’s delicious casseroles.
He was a scholar-athlete in high school playing football, basketball, and baseball. He was the first in his family to go to college. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the University of Orono while serving in the Army Reserves. He also received his master’s degree in mathematics education from Bowdoin College. He served for a total of eight years in the Army Reserves during and after post-graduate education.
His life was one of public and private service. Maurice was committed and generous to his family, students, colleagues, community, and church. He taught at Dexter and Bingham High Schools before teaching at the University of Southern Maine as a math professor for 47 years. During his tenure, he served on dozens of committees and he was widely admired by his students and colleagues because he was so generous with his time. He also taught hundreds of students statewide through ITV and Project Aspire. He had recently calculated that he had touched the lives of nearly 40,000 students over his teaching career. He received the Faculty Award for Teaching and Service in 1997 and his award stated that he was “…deeply respected and admired for his fairness, honesty, and dependability… His accomplishments at USM have helped shape the futures of thousands of high school calculus students, hundreds of their teachers, and countless thousands of university students and their children.” Maurice was a well-respected and well-loved educator, as demonstrated on RateMyProfessor. He truly enjoyed his teaching career, eventually teaching some of his children and grandchildren in his classes at USM. He nearly always taught overload courses and was assistant dean of the college of arts and sciences for many years, as well as chair of the department of math and computer science for sixteen years.
As a nearly fifty-year resident of Cumberland, Maine, Maurice served on the Lion’s Club an was a multiple “Lion of the Year” awardee. He was also a prominent member of Dollars for Scholars in Cumberland Maine and was generous with other charities as well. Maurice was very active in his church, serving as lector and eucharistic minister at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Yarmouth. He was often seen in Cumberland walking his beloved Bichon Frisé, Sugar Rose.
Maurice was an avid bowler until his retirement six years ago. Maurice and Meredyth were blessed to have been able to travel together throughout his retirement years. He also enjoyed watching his Boston sports teams win numerous championships. The family would like to extend an appreciation to the supportive and empathetic staff at R2 at Maine Medical Center, Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, and Comfort Keepers of Maine.