VFW Post 10643 honors Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy student winners

By Ed Pierce

There is no shortage of patriotism in Windham and especially on Veterans Day. During this year’s annual Veterans Day observance, three local students were honored as winners of VFW Post 10643’s Patriot’s Pen essay contest and the Voice of Democracy audio essay contest.

Winners of VHW Post 10643's Patriot's Pen and Voice of'
Democracy contests gather on Veterans Day at the Windham
Veterans Center. From left are Zoie Hougaz-McCormick,
Brenna Wheeler and Amber Sands.
PHOTO BY ANDREA HOUGAZ-MCCORMICK
 

The first-place winner of the Patriot’s Pen competition for area students in Grades 6 to 8 was Zoie Gabriel Hougaz-McCormick, a sixth grader at Windham Middle School who wrote her essay on the theme “My Voice in America’s Democracy.” Sixth grader Brenna Wheeler of Windham Christian School was second in the Patriot’s Pen contest writing about “My Voice in America’s Democracy.” Taking home first-place for students in Grades 9 to 12 was Windham Christan Academy junior Amber Sands for her audio-essay on the theme is "Is America Today Our Forefathers’ Vision?" Each of the three winners got to read their essays before an audience of more than 200 attending Veterans Day events at the Windham Veterans Center on Nov. 11.

As local winners from Windham, Hougaz-McCormick, Wheeler and Sands advance in the contest to compete at the VFW district level in Maine. The girls also were presented with checks by VFW Post Commander Willie Goodman for winning the local contest. Hougaz-McCormick received a first-place check for $200, while Wheeler took home a second-place check for $150. Sands received a first-place check for $250.

Goodman said that the Patriot's Pen essay competition is open to all middle school students from Windham and Raymond attending Windham Middle School, Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond, Windham Christian Academy, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, and other public and private schools and home-schooled students, in grades 6 to 8. Middle school students were invited to write a 300- to 400-word essay about this year's theme and what it specifically means to them. The Voice of Democracy competition is open to all high school students from Windham and Raymond in grades 9 to 12, including those who are home-schooled. Students are asked to write and record a 3- to 5-minute essay (on an audio CD) on this year's theme and the meaning it holds for them.

Essay Contest

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society.

District winners compete in the VFW’s annual state competition while trying to secure a berth in the national competition with a chance to win thousands of dollars in college scholarships. The first-place VFW state winner also receives a four-day trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national Patriot’s Pen contest.

Each year, nearly 25,000 students in grades 9 to 12 from across the country enter to win their share of more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the Voice of Democracy program. The first-place winner nationally receives $5,000 for the Patriot's Pen winning essay and the first-place winning essay nationally for the Voice of Democracy receives a $35,000 college scholarship.

Hougaz-McCormick said the best part of this year’s contest was being able to share her work with the community because she could show others her opinions and make a difference in the world.

“Making sure my opinions were strong enough that people would listen to them and consider what I had to say was the hardest part of the contest for me,” she said. “It took me about three weeks to write it and I worked on it after school for about 30 to 45 minutes a day. I thought about how much democracy means to me and I wrote down all my feelings and then put it together in an essay.”

She said that her family was excited and happy for her when she won the contest, but it was challenging to read her essay aloud before the audience.

“I was a little nervous at first, but I felt honored and excited to read my essay,” Hougaz-McCormick said. “I would recommend participating in this contest to other students because it gives others an opportunity to express their feelings about topics they feel strongly about. I learned that if you step outside your comfort zone it can have a positive consequence.”

According to Hougaz-McCormick, she would like to become a police officer when she grows up and specifically a D.A.R.E. officer.

Patriot’s Pen second-place winner Brenna Wheeler said the best part of the contest was typing out her essay and seeing the progression she was making.

“This helped me show how much my essay had grown since the rough draft,” Wheeler said. “The hardest part was keeping to the word count. My rough draft was over the word limit and I had to cut it down. And, for me, I would have typed more and more.”

It took her about three weeks to fully complete her essay.

“My teacher did a great job making sure we started early and had enough time to edit and make sure we were happy with our final draft,” she said. “My teacher suggested we start with a question and write an answer for that question. It helped so I could summarize what we could do for My Voice in America’s Democracy.”

Surprised by honor

Once she learned she was one of the local winners, Wheeler said her family was very surprised and excited.

“It was really encouraging for me as it showed you can accomplish something you work hard for,” she said. “I am proud of what I did and honored to be one of the winners. Reading my essay in front of the VGW members and their families was nerve racking. I was so nervous. But I soon realized that it would all be just fine and that I needed to have confidence. I was honored to be the first person to read their essay. I highly recommend other students participate in this contest. It is hard work to write an essay, but it is worth it. You get to see your progress and you may even get the chance to read it in front of veterans and their families. Do not be afraid to be a voice, and do not be afraid to speak in front of others. Both of these will help you in the future and show that hard work pays off. You should always try and maybe you’ll receive a reward.”

Wheeler said she wants to pursue a career in photography, science, or astronomy when she’s older.

For Amber Sands, the best part about being in the Voice of Democracy contest was the confidence it gave to her writing.

“I've been hoping to win this contest for years, and finally achieving that was a great boost for my creative self-esteem,” she said. “The hardest part was recording my essay. I tried to put as much feeling into it as I could, like I would if I was speaking directly to someone. It was difficult to manage without sounding like I was simply reciting a paper. I worked on this in my government class for a few days, so probably a total of an hour and a half. Being in a government class was great for writing my essay, because I was able to use terminology I hadn't known before. I'm also a fan of the musical Hamilton and enjoyed referencing that time period using my knowledge of the movie.”

She says her family members are proud of her achievement and excited that this could be a great step for her potential writing career.

“I'm generally fairly confident speaking in front of people, but I was definitely nervous at the Windham Veterans Center,” Sands said. “They were a great audience though, and many people came up to me afterward to congratulate me and compliment my essay. I would recommend this contest to other students because it really is a great platform, and it is totally worth it. I have taken away from this experience that you never know what will happen and how much people will like your work, but it's still good to try! You could end up touching a lot of people.”

Sands said she plans to go into creative writing for a future occupation.

“Writing is something I've always loved to do, and so this was a great step for me,” she said. <

Windham composer’s ‘Maine Christmas Song’ becomes illustrated children’s book

By Ed Pierce

When first approached several years ago about turning his beloved “Maine Christmas Song” into a children’s book, composer Con Fullam of Windham was open to the idea but wondered how it would turn out. His answer is a beautifully illustrated classic that just like the song, will stand the test of time.

The Maine Christmas Song book is based upon
Windham resident Con Fullam's popular tune.
Fullam will be signing copies of the book at
the 'An American Family Holiday' concerts
at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at 
Windham High School. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Fullam will be on hand at Windham High School for the Windham Chamber Singers “An American Family Holiday” concerts on Dec. 7 with copies of his book for purchase that he will autograph for the public. The “Maine Christmas Song” has been included in the “An American Family Holiday” concerts for decades.

Since Fullam composed the tune in 1986, the “Maine Christmas Song” has sold more than 100,000 copies and is the centerpiece of Christmas music set in the Pine Tree State. It’s been a holiday favorite of students and adults since it first hit the airwaves on WPOR as sung by Malinda Liberty and shows no signs of decreasing in popularity.

Publisher Stephanie Mulligan of Maine-based McSea Books first heard the “Maine Christmas Song” as a first grader growing up in Maine and always thought it would be great if it could be turned into a book.

“Like so many, I grew up with the song and always thought it could be a wonderful book with an important message, given the deep divide that we are experiencing today,” Mulligan said.

She sought out Fullam and pitched him the idea of using his song lyrics as a book filled with colorful illustrations. At the same time, Mulligan told an artist she knew in Otisfeld, Cynthia Baker, about the potential book and asked her to come up with some ideas for the book. As it turns out, Baker knew about the song because her husband had gone to college with Fullam.

Fullam grew up on a farm in Sidney and his father passed away when he was just 5, leaving behind his ukulele which his son learned how to play. Within a year of that, Fullam was playing guitar at church and school functions and by the time he was 10, he was performing on a Saturday night radio show in Waterville.

As an adult, Fullam’s love for performing, producing and songwriting lifted him to unprecedented heights in the music industry and five Emmy Award nominations. Along the way, he’s appeared on stage with such renowned artists as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, EmmyLou Harris, Joan Armatrading, John Sebastian, Asleep At The Wheel, Willie Nelson, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Earl Scruggs Review, Richie Havens, and Tammy Wynette. He is also responsible for creating The Wompkees, a popular animated television series for children on PBS.

In Maine, Fullam has a prominent place in music for his “Maine Christmas Song”.

“Reporter Bob Elliott of Channel 6 was working on a story about Christmas music in 1986 and I had just moved back to Maine from New York,” Fullam said. “He asked me to write a song about Christmas and I agreed. It sounded like fun. I figured I would work on it over the next year, but I was wrong. Bob told me he needed it now and that changed my original plans.”

Sitting down to create the song’s music, everything came together faster than Fullam expected.

“Sometimes things just magically happen in songwriting,” he said. “I didn’t have time to think about it. The melody and words came gushing out and in 20 minutes it was done.”

His inspiration for the song’s lyrics came from his recollections of his early life in Sidney and many Christmas seasons he spent there with his family growing up.

Maine actor Gary Merrill, the former husband of actress Bette Davis, recorded the opening narration for “The Maine Christmas Song” and Fullam then asked his friend, singer Malina Liberty, to record the tune in Portland. When it was first released in November 1987, the song became an instant sensation with proceeds from sales donated to Maine Credit Union League’s “End Hunger” initiative.

According to Mulligan, it took about 18 months from coming up with the book idea to its completion.

She said she was thrilled with the final product.

“It represents generations before us, but the message is timeless,” Mulligan said. “We’re trying to preserve the goodness and sharing with others.”

Fullam, who is included in the 2023 Marquis edition of “Who’s Who in America,” said he was delighted when he saw a proof of the “Maine Christmas Song” book.

“I really had no idea how it would turn out, but it was great,” he said. “The feedback I get about it is always wonderful. People all have stories about the song and what it’s meant to them and how it’s been a part of their lives.”

The “Maine Christmas Song” books are available in bookstores and gift shops throughout Maine, and online at McSeabooks.com and Amazon.com. <

Windham’s last surviving World War II veteran Carroll McDonald dies at 99

By Ed Pierce

And then there were none. Carroll McDonald, the last surviving World War II veteran living in Windham, died at the age of 99 on Nov. 14.

Carroll McDonald, the last surviving World War II veteran
in Windham, died at the age of 99 on Nov. 14. He trained
as a P-51 pilot during World War II and later served as a
postal carrier, seaplane pilot, Meals on Wheels driver and
was a former commander of American Legion Field-Allen
Post 148 in Windham. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

Born on his parents’ dairy farm in South Windham on March 1, 1925, he was the first son of Edwin and Nellie McDonald and would soon be joined by a younger brother, Kenneth. From an early age he was fascinated by airplanes, and it was a passion he never lost sight of.

“When I was about 4 years old, I heard a biplane flying near a school,” McDonald said. “The sound of it going up and down and buzzing all around stirred my interest and it never left me when I was growing up. It was doing spins and barrel rolls overhead. At first, I was scared, but the longer I watched that old biplane, the more impressed I became, and I knew from that moment that I wanted to become a pilot someday. The sound of it going up and down and buzzing all around stirred my interest and it never left me when I was growing up.”

Both McDonald brothers were so infatuated by airplanes and aviation that in 1937 when Carroll was 12 and Kenneth was 9, they rode their bicycles from Grant’s Corner in South Windham for more than 12 miles to the airport in Portland one morning. Without their parents’ knowledge, the brothers paid for and boarded a flight to Boston where it landed, and then took off again for a return flight back to Portland. Both brothers then rode their bicycles back to their farm, and neither of their parents learned about their flight until years later.

Throughout his high school years, McDonald played trumpet in a dance band and then formed his own group called the Don Carroll Orchestra and also played for the Windham Town Band. He graduated from Windham High School in 1942 and started classes at Northeastern Business College in Portland that fall, but by the next summer he decided to accept a commission in the U.S. Army Air Corps to become a pilot before being drafted and assigned any job that was needed.

Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, he was sent to an Army flight school in Alabama and then for training as a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot at Page Field in Fort Myers, Florida. He received his flight wings in 1944 and spent the remainder of the war in Fort Myers flying P-51s, a long range, single-seat fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War.

“I joined because it was an opportunity to be well-trained and a chance to fly every single day,” McDonald said.

Upon his discharge from active duty in 1945, he attended business school using the GI Bill but in 1951 while fulfilling his military commitment in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant during the Korean War.

“Flying P-51s was the best experience I could have ever hoped for. It was a top-of-the-line aircraft and was really very fast,” he said. “Here I was just a teenager, and I was flying one of the fastest aircraft in the world and serving my country during wartime. It was simply an amazing time.”

Following his active-duty discharge in 1945, McDonald returned to Windham and attended business school using the GI Bill. He joined the U.S. Post Office as a rural postal delivery driver, a job he worked at for 32 years, delivering mail in South Windham and on River Road until retiring. He also continued to pilot aircraft while serving as a mailman and would finish his mail route by 2 p.m. in the summers and then drive to Naples where he would fly sightseeing trips for tourists around Sebago Lake.

About that time, McDonald joined American Legion’s Field-Allen Post 148 in 1951 and eventually served as Post Commander and performed many other duties for the veterans’ group through the years. He married Marjorie Steeves, and they raised a son, David, who graduated from Windham High in 1963, and a daughter, Karen.

“Carroll is surely near and dear to all of our hearts,” said Al LaRhette of South Weymouth, Massachusetts, during a 2023 reunion gathering for the Windham High School Class of 1963.

“I remember getting to play in the band with him when we performed at Fenway Park in Boston for the State of Maine Day in 1959.”

LaRhette said Carroll was known as a friend to all the class members and is beloved by everyone who knows him.

“He was just always there for us,” LaRhette said. “He had a way about him. It was like when you were with him, you were the most important person he got to speak to that day. He’s been a cherished friend to all of us throughout all these years since our graduation.”

Upon his retirement from the U.S. Post Office in 1980, McDonald volunteered for more than 20 years delivering Meals on Wheels to area seniors. He also became a member of the Presumpscot Lodge of Masons, Windham Hill Church, and Windham Historical Society.

While attending a vintage airshow in the Auburn area in 2014, he jumped at the chance to take a test flight in a restored P-51 Mustang aircraft.

“I couldn’t believe it after all these years,” he said. “I was thrilled to have that opportunity once more.”

Earlier this year he entered St. Andre’s Health Care Facility in Biddeford but insisted he would make it home in time for his 100th birthday on March 1, 2025 and a parade in his honor. His wife Marjorie died in 2007, followed his son, David in 2013, and his brother and sister-in-law Kenneth and Elizabeth McDonald in 2014. McDonald is survived by his partner Joan Esty of Windham, a daughter Karen Hopkins and her husband Blaine of Greenville, Maine, granddaughters Maureen Hopkins of Auburn, Maine and Brenda Lebo of Milford, New York, and a daughter-in-law Molly McDonald of Arcanum, Ohio.

Of everything he accomplished during his lifetime, McDonald said he would like to be remembered most as a pilot and for his military service in defense of America.

“I still think it was the right thing to do,” he said. “I am very positive about my time in the military. I enjoyed the structure, the discipline and was very pleased with the training I received. I’m lucky to have served and proud of what we accomplished.” <

Pumpkin design contest tests teamwork abilities of WMS students

By Ed Pierce

Believing that unity is strength and when there is teamwork that anything can be achieved, student groups at Windham Middle School recently collaborated as part of an exercise intended to build trust while creating, designing and decorating a winning pumpkin.

The 'Oscar the Grouch' pumpkin design 
created by a sixth-grade team advised by
teacher Matthew Zidle was the winner of
this year's Pumpkin Contest at Windham
Middle School. Team members proposed 
the design, painted the pumpkin and added
the finishing touches in an exercise intended
to build teamwork and collaboration among
the students. COURTESY PHOTO  

The winning pumpkin was one of about 30 different designs submitted by student teams and was unveiled during morning announcements on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The sixth-grade group advised by WMS teacher Matthew Zidle won this year’s contest for its “Oscar the Grouch” design.

The advisory groups at the school met, chose a pumpkin, suggested possible designs, voted on one design and then worked together on turning their pumpkin into the design they wanted. Following several weeks of work on the activity, the groups displayed their creations for their peers in the hallway outside the school gymnasium for a panel of judges including WMS Principal Greg Applestein and Assistant Principal AJ Ruth.

This popular annual student advisory group activity aims to forge strong connections among the students, foster creativity and to refine communications by drawing together students with diverse backgrounds and different personalities tasked to work on a common problem.

Zidle said the first task for the winning design group was to gather supplies needed for the pumpkin.

“Many of us were able to provide ‘trash’ items for the can,” he said. “Students painted the pumpkin and attached green ‘fur.’ We’d like to thank Ruth’s Reusables for helping us by donating supplies as well. They are an incredible resource for our communities by allowing us to work as a team and have a lot of fun in the process.”

He said it was a great opportunity for members of his advisory group to demonstrate leadership, think outside the box and develop a sense of solidarity, making them more invested in themselves and others.

Sixth grader Natalie Norcia was involved in painting the pumpkin to resemble “Oscar the Grouch” from Sesame Street.

“Besides painting, I helped with the googly eyes, the trash stuff and the fur,” Norcia said. “It took a few weeks to produce, but I thought it looked really good and that we all did a good job with it.”

Max Caron, a WMS sixth grader, said student creativity was on display in this activity.

“I liked how we could do whatever we wanted with the design,” Caron said.

He said some of the suggestions among their group for a design included the Earth, actor Mike Myers, and one based upon Friday the 13th films before the students settled on creating Oscar the Grouch.

He said this pumpkin decorating activity was challenging but was not so tough as to frustrate or overwhelm members of the student advisory group.

“Lots of friends got together in class, put our heads together and got to work on it,” Caron said.

As the project came together slowly, sixth grader Bradford Jorgensen thought that the group’s design might not get much attention from the judges.

“I thought we were going to get last place,” Jorgensen said. “In the end that wasn’t the case.”

When completed, Oscar the Grouch was seen emerging from a red trash can filled with crushed soda pop cans, candy wrappers and other trash. There is trash on top of his green hair, and he has thick black eyebrows over his large googly eyes. An empty plastic yogurt container is perched on top of his head and a sign on the trash can reads “Grouch says SCRAM.”



Members of Zile’s winning team included WMS sixth graders Chase Austin Lewis; Natalie Norica; Brittany Sharkey; Elena Vujanic; Elliot Condon; Liana Aguilar; Finnegan Niman; Bradford Jorgensen; Max Caron; Atticus Cunningham; James Riley; and Ian Dorie. <

Community shows gratitude for those who served at Veterans Day observance

By Lorraine Glowczak

Singer Bob Dylan once said that a hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his or her freedom. That truth was evident during the 2024 Veterans Day observance held on Monday at the Windham Veterans Center.

VFW Post 10643 Commander Willie Goodman presents
a plaque of appreciation to Ed Pierce, Managing Editor
of The Windham Eagle newspaper during the post's
annual Veterans Day observance on Monday, Nov. 11
at the Windham Veterans Center. Pierce, a U.S.
Air Force veteran, gave the keynote speech at the event.
PHOTO BY TOM THERIAULT   

Hosted by Windham VFW Post 10643, the annual gathering drew more than 200 people and celebrated the men and women of Windham who put their lives on the line when they wore the uniform of the United States of America protecting and ensuring the continued freedom of our nation.

VFW Post 10643 Commander Willie Goodman led the event and welcomed guests including Windham’s state delegation members State Senator Tim Nangle and outgoing State Representative Jane Pringle, and Windham Town Council members Mark Morrison and David Nadeau. It was part of the national celebration of Veterans Day, which was originally known as “Armistice Day.”

The commemoration of a special day to pay tribute to military veterans was originally created Nov. 11, 1919, one year after the end of World War I. At the time, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson declared “Armistice Day” to take place annually in America on the “11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour” to remember the end of what was known as “The Great War,” now called World War I. In 1975, U.S. President Gerald Ford designated Nov. 11 as the permanent Veterans Day holiday because of the historical significance of veterans to America.

During the Windham observance, Goodman recognized three local students as winners of this year’s Patriot’s Pen essay contest and Voice of Democracy audio essay competition.

Zoie Hougaz-McCormick of Windham Middle School was first overall, and Brenna Wheeler of Windham Christian School finished second in the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen contest for students in Grades 6 to 8 writing on this year’s theme of “My Voice in American Democracy.” Amber Sands of Windham Christian School won first place for her audio essay in the VFW’s Voice of Democracy contest for high school students on the theme of “Is America Today Our Forefather’s Vision?”

Ed Pierce, a U.S. Air Force veteran and the Managing Editor of The Windham Eagle newspaper served as the keynote speaker for the observance.

Pierce related three different stories, two about his own time in the military and one about a veteran he had met in New Hampshire during his time working for a newspaper there.

In his first story, Pierce described an incident he experienced as an E-1 Airman Basic on a seven-hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany from Gander, Newfoundland in 1977. During the flight, he inadvertently got brown gravy on the collar of the dress shirt of a U.S. Army Colonel sleeping next to him. While agonizing about what to do, the gravy dried and it turned out the colonel happened to be the chief aide to U.S. Army Four-Star General Alexander Haig, the Supreme Commander of NATO Forces in Europe at the time.

His second story involved meeting and interviewing future U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1975, and then seven years later having Reagan recognize him as an Air Force sergeant during an event at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Reagan mentioned that Pierce was his favorite writer and should be promoted and when the promotion list was posted two days later, he was indeed promoted. The following Monday, a large jar of jellybeans and a note bearing the presidential seal and offering congratulations appeared on Pierce’s desk when he arrived for work.

Pierce’s final story involved George Nichols, an 89-year-old resident of the New Hampshire Veteran’s Home in Tilton in 2014. He was covering the veteran’s home as part of his beat for the Laconia Citizen newspaper and was at the facility to report about a visit from then-New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan with the veterans for St. Patrick’s Day. Nichols, who was on oxygen and confined to a wheelchair, stopped Pierce and said he had a story for him to write about.

When Pierce went back the next day to speak to Nichols, he learned that the veteran had cancer and was a lifelong baseball fan. Nichols told him he had gone with his father to Fenway Park in Boston to watch his first Red Sox game in 1929. Nichols had wanted to pitch someday for the Red Sox but World War II intervened. He instead was drafted and trained as a medical corpsman and sent to Anzio Beach, Italy during the American landing there in 1944.

At the same time, Pierce’s father was drafted in 1943 and was shipped overseas as an infantryman serving first in Libya and Morocco and then was part of the U.S. invasion force trying to take Anzio from the Nazis. He was shot in the back by a German sniper and was rescued by a medical corpsman and taken for treatment.

During the Battle of Anzio, Nichols was asked to run onto the beach, pick up American soldiers who were injured but had a chance to survive, sling them over his shoulder and carry them to the medical station for treatment. On his 19th trip onto Anzio Beach to rescue wounded soldiers, a German mortar shell exploded nearby and sent shrapnel into Nichols’ left knee. Despite bleeding profusely, Nichols completed his mission, had his knee cleaned and bandaged and he went back and successfully completed six more trips. At the end of the day, he was informed that he would be put in for a Purple Heart medal for being wounded in combat.

But it never happened and years later when he turned 65, Nichols applied for his Purple Heart medal. He was denied the medal by the VA and over the next 19 years, Nichols applied every year and was denied each time. The reason for the denial was Nichols did not have his Army medical records to prove he had been wounded. Those paper records were stored in a facility in St. Louis, Missouri which burned to the ground in 1973 and lost forever, along with the records of 18 million other American military personnel.

The story about Nichols’ plight ran on the front page of the Laconia newspaper and was subsequently picked up and run by the Associated Press throughout the U.S. It so happened that the owner of the Boston Red Sox saw the article and invited Nichols and his family to be his guest and for him to throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park on Armed Forces Day in 2014, fulfilling Nichols’ lifelong dream of throwing a pitch for his favorite team. The following spring he died without ever receiving his Purple Heart.

According to Pierce, veterans like George Nichols and those from the Windham VFW Post 10643 and Windham American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 gave unselfishly of themselves to protect our freedom and deserve our respect and gratitude not only on Veterans Day but throughout the year

In addition to the keynote speaker at the observance, the Windham Chamber Singers, under the director of Dr. Richard Nickerson, performed the National Anthem and a medley of military branch songs for the veterans. Afterward, those in attendance were treated to a lunch provided and served by Chick-Fil-A of Westbrook. A donation of coleslaw was made to the gathering by Windham Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Windham Boy Scout Troop 805 presented the colors, passed out programs and helped seat visitors at the observance. <

Windham mourns loss of community icon Moody

By Matt Pascarella

Exactly one week after more than a thousand supporters gathered to dedicate basketball courts in Windham to him, longtime community champion Patrick “Pat” Moody passed away from pancreatic cancer on Sunday evening, Nov. 10.

Sherma Moody, left, and Pat Moody stand and cheer on their 
son AJ and the Windham boy's varsity basketball team during
the 2024 State Championship Game at Cross Insurance
Arena in Portland on March. Pat Moody died Sunday, Nov.
10 just a week after Windham's public basketball courts were
dedicated in his honor. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA   

Immediately upon hearing the news about Moody’s death, a flood of support, condolences and stories poured in. Many residents have shared the positive affect that Moody had on their lives and the lives of the many children he coached.

“Pat and I first met in 1993,” said Windham High School varsity assistant basketball coach Geoff Grigsby. “I had just moved back to Maine and was playing in the first basketball game of the season against Windham. Pat was the big shot point guard on his team, and I was for my team. We started out as rivals, and it was such a big rivalry that he was actually my “pet peeve” in my senior picture in the yearbook. I ended up going to Windham’s prom with a friend of Pat’s and she introduced me to him for the first time off the court, and he was just the friendliest guy, so I couldn’t hate him anymore. We’ve been friends ever since. When I moved to Raymond and became part of the Windham community 17 years ago, he started recruiting me for Windham Youth Basketball and other coaching roles. He pushed for me to join the Windham High coaching staff, and more than anything we’ve just been friends forever.”

Windham resident Kristin Osgood Drottar said this is a tremendous loss to Windham and Moody made an impact on everyone who knew him. During the basketball courts’ dedication, many people got shirts that asked, “What Would Pat Do?” and Drottar said she has been thinking a lot about this. She thinks Pat would hold the door for a stranger, he would smile at someone, even if he wasn’t in the mood, he’d take silly pictures with his kids and never miss an opportunity to tell the love of his life that she was his everything.

“He would want everyone to know they mattered; he’d be kind. In a divided and busy world, we should ask ourselves what Pat would do and ... do that,” she said.

Others expressed gratitude for having such a positive person in their lives.

“I am forever grateful to know you and be one of the countless people Pat Moody had an incredibly positive, profound and uplifting relationship with,” said New Gloucester resident Jordan Scanlon. “From a young-age hooper ... to a young adult faced with a mountain of fears and challenges, Moody never wavered in support or willingness to help, even if it was just a text to come hoop – it meant a lot to me. Moody’s God-given ability to make everyone he’d encounter feel appreciated, seen and valued is unmatched. I will never stop looking up to him as a hooper, a positive community leader, or most importantly a father. You’re truly one of the greatest examples of humanity I have ever known."

There are people with so many good things to say about Moody, and it could fill numerous articles.

“He has such a strong connection and bond with my children and so many children in this town, his infectious smile will be deeply missed,” said Windham resident Maureen Flaherty Janvrin. “I am so happy he was able to see Windham bring home the first basketball state championship, the Celtics win the NBA finals and have an outpouring of dedication courts, and he could be a part of all of that joy; he was the epitome of community.”

Around a year ago Windham resident Shane Bryant was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), a non-curable but manageable blood cancer. Bryant only shared this with family and a few very close friends. One of those close friends let Pat know because of his own cancer diagnosis. Pat had rung the bell on cancer, which was amazing. Pat immediately reached out to offer his support and to let Bryant know he was there anytime he wanted to talk. Moody told Bryant he needed a pair of “lucky sneakers.” Moody said the sneakers he purchased brought him tons of luck and Pat sent Bryant’s daughter, Nola, a gift card to Footlocker so she could buy him the lucky sneakers.

While this might seem like a small act of kindness, it meant so much more to Bryant and his family.

Windham resident and town councilor Jarrod Maxfield and Moody worked together on the community center committee. Maxfield says he remembers Moody being passionate and not one to shy away when obstacles arose. It meant a lot for Maxfield to get to know him, because Moody was always positive and set a great example to follow.

Ashley Fearon of Windham met Pat through her son.

“I have known Pat Moody since my son was in preschool, which he is now a senior in high school,” said Windham resident Fearon. “Braycen and AJ went to kindergarten together and have played sports their whole lives. I met Pat because I was waitressing at Pat’s Pizza, and he used to come in with Hayleigh and AJ. Pat has always been such a friendly, optimistic person. He never judged and never excluded anyone. He taught my son how to play basketball and how to drive. He was definitely always the dad with a carload of kids for every adventure. The best are the pictures; Pat was always doing group selfies or sending funny shots. There wasn’t anything that Pat wouldn’t have done for somebody else. From day one I think Pat became family and that’s just how he made you feel being around him.”

The Windham community’s thoughts and prayers are with the entire Moody family and are deeply saddened by the loss of Pat. <