Hugh Dennis Violette
VIOLETTE, Hugh, 28, PRESQUE ISLE, April 30, 2011. A celebration of his life will be held in Presque Isle in early June. Arrangements are in the care of Kiley & Foley Funeral Service, Bangor and Brewer
PRESQUE ISLE – Hugh Dennis Violette, 28, a professional forester, died unexpectedly Saturday, April 30, after a very brief illness.
Hugh was a licensed Maine forester and was certified by the Society of American Foresters. He worked in Aroostook County for Orion Timberlands, LLC, a subdivision of Seven Islands Land Company.
Hugh was a 2005 graduate of the University of Maine School of Forest Resources, where he was co-editor of “The Maine Forester” and a member of the forestry academic honor society Xi Sigma Pi. In April 2005, the dean of the forestry program conferred on Hugh the school’s Student Involvement Award. Hugh was a 2001 graduate of John Bapst High School in Bangor.
Hugh enjoyed a nurturing childhood with his parents and sister during which he also spent numerous visits with his paternal and maternal grandparents. Many happy days were spent with his family on the bike trails of Acadia National Park. Hugh pursued his passion for hockey for many years with his buddies in Brewer Youth Hockey and during his four years at John Bapst High School. Hugh’s greatest joy in his teen years was helping build and spending time at the Violette family camp on Fish Lake in Aroostook County. His enduring love of Fish Lake, where he always found peace and relaxation with family and friends, continued the remainder of his life. He was an avid snowmobiler who sledded deep into the winter forest documenting his experiences with nature photos he e-mailed to his family and friends.
Hugh was a gentle and unassuming person. He always had a smile and a good word for whomever he met. He treated all with respect and appreciated people from all walks of life. He would gladly lend a helping hand to anyone. Hugh was a dedicated and hard-working forester. He was meticulous in his work, always dedicated to excellence and to achieving the highest professional standards. He placed high value on his relationships with his colleagues and treasured friends and his loyalty to them was unwavering. If Hugh was your friend, you were a fortunate person.
Hugh maintained an ongoing and deep commitment to the world of professional forestry.
At the time of his death, he was Chairman of the New England Regional Council of Forest Engineers. He was also actively involved in the Society of American Foresters, the Forest Resource Association, Maine GIS Users Group, University of Maine Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, and the Eastern Canada-USA Forest Science Conference.
Hugh lived his life to the fullest and he would want to be remembered for his commitment to his profession, his deep love for family and friends, and for the joy he brought to others rather than be mourned for the brevity of his life.
Hugh is survived by his parents, Dennis and Holly (Ramsdell) Violette; and his sister, Julia Violette, of Orrington; uncles, aunts and cousins; include Steven and Mary (Ramsdell) Gifford of Brewer and their son, Karl; Marc Violette and Margaret Lanoue of Albany, NY, and their son, Zacharie; Paul Violette of Portland; Hamid and Louise (Violette) Ansari of Brunswick, and their children, Sarah, Shirin, Esmael, Nasrin, Maryam and Nahid; Thomas and Mary (Leonard) Violette of Bangor, and their daughters, Danielle and Leanne. Hugh is also survived by his step-grandmother, Margaret Ramsdell, of Hendersonville, NC. Hugh leaves behind three very close friends, Deanna Viola of Caribou, Adam Nicak of Mapleton, and Rory Eckardt of South Hadley, MA.
Hugh was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Elmer and Marcella Violette of Van Buren; and by his maternal grandparents, Gordon and Louise Ramsdell of Surry.
A celebration of Hugh’s life will be held in Presque Isle in early June at a date and time to be announced in the Bangor Daily News. Memorial gifts may be made to the Hugh D. Violette ’05 Scholarship Fund, which will endow a scholarship in the University of Maine School of Forest Resources, care of Univ. of Maine Foundation, 2 Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469-5792. Arrangements by Kiley & Foley Funeral Service, Bangor and Brewer.
