We lost a valued member of the community last month when Dan Bouquillon passed away. Dan was an alum who also was serving on our Board of Directors this year. I attended his funeral service and burial last week, and there was a chance to say a few words.

In summary, here are my comments:

This is hard. I felt very close to Dan. He was among a small group of alumni that have become personal friends of mine as young adults. We played golf together and went out for fun on occasion. We communicated regularly, though like many of us here today, less regularly this past year. Like other speakers, I hold some doubts and reflections about that gap. Dan joined me in many presentations, panels, and conferences to promote North Star. He loved sharing his story: “North Star saved me when I was 15.” He wanted everyone to know how things can work out – he went to Holyoke Community College, then Guilford College, then spent years in Information Technology field. His enthusiasm was inspiring to many families in stressful moments.

I submitted a photo of Dan for the online album (the photo for this blog), which is how I always picture Dan in my mind. It was taken at North Star’s Opening Ceremonies parade in 2004. You can see his exuberance – his arms waving, his smile spreading. He’s in the moment! If you look through his arms, you’ll see a small child, my daughter Claudia, who was about five years old at the time.