For different reasons, their departures and contributions are well worth noting

When Kenneth McLaughlin’s obituary appeared in the paper recently, it sparked a flood of memories for those who remember the 1960s and 1970s. Nashua native, businessman, attorney, judge, college founder and president, pilot and largerthan-life character, McLaughlin left a host of accomplishments.

The obituary listed “Nashua, NH, and Cloghane, Ireland” as his homes. He had met and fallen in love with his wife in the 6th grade, went to Saint Anselm and UNH, and was an Eagle Scout at age 15. He became the youngest member of the New Hampshire Bar at age 21, in 1950. At 29, he was appointed associate justice of the Nashua District Court. He kept the title of “Judge” all his life, even after retiring from the bench.

He learned to fly at Nashua Airport and founded Nathaniel Hawthorne College in Antrim to combine liberal arts and business education with flight training. The college flourished in the 1960s and 1970s, joining a number of other New Hampshire institutions in closing when the flood of students ceased.

He also worked in the family moving business, founded a cattle ranch in Iowa and practiced law.

In civic pursuits, he was president of the Nashua Bar Association; served fellow Nashua native Gov. Walter Peterson in several posts; chaired the NH Partners for the Alliance for Progress, President John F. Kennedy’s effort to help Western Hemisphere countries; and won numerous awards in aviation, civic affairs and law.

When this writer was a young lawyer, many, if not most, senior attorneys had McLaughlin’s two-volume “Color Me Justice” on their shelves. He traced progress in civil rights through Supreme Court decisions in language laymen and attorneys alike could follow, indicating a lifelong interest in and dedication to expanding rights and opportunities for all, especially young people.

McLaughlin and his wife, Mary, had four children who carry on his tradition of hard work and service.

Thinking back on all the areas of New Hampshire life, business and history Ken McLaughlin touched, and all he did in his 92 years, is exhausting but impressive.

In an entirely different way, Beverly Spiro touched the lives of generations of Manchester students as the assistant to six principals of Manchester High School Central, her alma mater. Manchester native and active participant in its Greek community, Mrs. Spiro, as she was known to everyone at Central, not only graduated from Central, but married a Central grad, saw all her children graduate from Central and relatives become teachers there, and was recognized by many, including those for whom she worked, as the “glue” that kept the school together.

The oldest high school in New Hampshire, Central became the “inner-city” high school over the years, a multi-building and large school where students could get lost in the crowd. Not for Mrs. Spiro, however, who somehow remembered every student’s name, and served as unofficial counselor, scolder, enforcer, encourager and friend — even substitute parent — for scores of Central students, as well as teachers, administrators and the six principals.

Her death on Sept. 13 was cause for many to pause and reflect on how one person, in what could be a routine position, could enhance the lives and education of so many people because of dedication, spirit and faith in the institution and those associated with it.

Those in Bedford and the surrounding area know the name Joe Gauci from the many landscaping trucks and vehicles of Joe Gauci Landscaping LLC, which constantly can be seen maintaining the beauty of many properties in those towns. An enthusiastic and friendly man who built the business over 40 years and ran it from Stebbins Pond Road along with family members and staff, Joe Gauci became a fixture in his adopted hometown, along with his wife, Sandra.

His dedication to quality and excellent work was evident in the results and growth of his business. He died suddenly on July 29 at the age of 67, preparing for another day of hard work.

Active in the support of animal rights organizations, Gauci was proudest of his fine family, and loved his opportunities to visit his lake house on the Maine-New Hampshire border. His family continues his business, but he left it and them too soon.

This writer was lucky to meet Joe and Sandra Gauci when their lovely daughter married into our family, and Joe’s infectious smile, most visible when he walked his daughter Chelsea down the aisle or observed his sons’ accomplishments, will be a great memory forever.

Brad Cook is a Manchester attorney. The views expressed in this column are his own. He can be reached at bradfordcook01@gmail.com.