Richard Ouellette

I WORKED AT AT EASTERN LUMBER IN AMESBURY FOR 45 YEARS UNTIL THEY CLOSED IN 2011. I STARTED WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THROUGH COLLEGE AND DECIDED TO STAY AFTER COLLEGE. IT WAS A REASONABLE PLACE TO WORK ALL THAT TIME AND ENABLED ME TO RETAIN MY ROOTS IN AMESBURY. I SAW MANY CLASSMATES FROM TIME TO TIME. I HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN THE ORGAN WORLD - PAST NATIONAL COUNCIL SECRETARY OF THE ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, PAST AUDITOR AND TREASURER OF THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS IN THE MERRIMACK VALLEY CHAPTER, AND A TRUSTEE FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS AT THE METHUEN MEMORIAL MUSIC HALL AND PRESENTLY THE SECRETARY AND A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT AN ORGANIST, I DO PLAY AS A HOBBY AND HAVE ENJOYED PLAYING AT ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL IN NEW YORK CITY YEARS AGO. I AM ALSO A MOUNTAIN CLIMBER AND AM A MEMBER OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB'S HUNDRED HIGHEST CLUB. I HAVE CLIMBED TO THE SUMMIT OF ALL 100 HIGHEST PEAKS IN NEW ENGLAND - 14 ARE BUSHWHACKS WITH NO TRAILS. I HAVE BEEN TO ALL 50 STATES AND 16 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. I CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN MY INTEREST IN GEOLOGY AND HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS BUT NONE PRESENTLY. I STILL ENJOY LOOKING FOR ROCKS AND UNDERSTANDING THE GEOMORPHOLOGY AND PLEISTOCENE HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND. DID YOU KNOW THAT THE CEMETERY ON ROUTE 110 ACROSS FROM THE GETTY STATION WAS ONCE A SAND SPIT ON THE SHORE OF THE OCEAN? THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING MATERIAL THAT I READ ABOUT. I LOVE TO TRAVEL AND HAVE TRAVELED TO EUROPE SIX TIMES - ONCE TO SPAIN FOR A WEEK (MY BROTHER LIVED OUTSIDE OF MADRID AT THE TIME) AND SAW GILBRALTAR, BARCELONA, CORDOBA, GRANADA, MADRID, AND THE MED. I HAVE TRAVELED TO IRELAND TWICE AND SPENT TWO WEEKS - ONE OF THE NICEST COUNTRIES I HAVE VISITED - IT IS BEAUTIFUL WHEN THE SUN IS OUT - NOT OFTEN. I DID HAVE REASONABLY GOOD WEATHER. A HOT DAY IS 80 DEGREES THERE. THE BIGGEST SURPRISE - PALM TREES! I HAVE ALSO VISITED FRANCE AND SPENT TWO WEEKS IN PARIS AND ONE IN NICE. THE TGV (HIGH-SPEED TRAIN) FROM PARIS TO NICE WAS INCREDIBLE. I SPENT ONE DAY IN ITALY ON THE SHORELINE IN SAN REMO AND SPENT ONE DAY IN MONACO. IF YOU LIKE BOATS GO THERE. I PURSUED MY DREAM BY VISITING THE CATHEDRALS OF PARIS AND HEARING THE ORGANS THERE. MY LICENSE PLATE IS WIDOR - A PARISIAN ORGANIST UNTIL HE DIED IN 1937. ALSO HAVE VISITED SWITZERLAND, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, HUNGARY, NETHERLANDS, AND THE BAHAMAS. TRAVEL IS PART OF MY CURRENT JOB AND I AM CURRENTLY A VIP CHAUFFEUR. MY JOB HAS TAKEN ME TO EIGHT STATES AND CANADA.

I GRADUATED FROM SALEM STATE IN 1973 WITH A LIBERAL ARTS DEGREE IN EARTH SCIENCE. IT WAS IN COLLEGE THAT I TOOK A MUSIC APPRECIATION COURSE THAT SHAPED THE REST OF MY LIFE. I HAVE PURSUED A VOCATION IN MUSIC THAT HAS ENABLED ME TO WORK WITH MUSICIANS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND TO HELP OTHERS. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RAISE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FOR METHUEN MEMORIAL MUSIC HALL AND TO GIVE OUT SCHOLARSHIPS TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS FROM THE MERRIMACK VALLEY AREA WHO ARE GOING ON TO COLLEGE TO MAJOR IN MUSIC. I HAVE RAISED APPROX. $40,000.00 THROUGH CONCERTS AND SOLICITATIONS. LUKE PARKIN FROM AMESBURY WAS ONE OF MY RECIPIENTS OVER 10 YEARS AGO. I ALSO WENT ON TO DO ALL MY BUSINESS COURSES SO THAT I COULD START AN MBA DEGREE BUT DECIDED NOT TO PURSUE IT SO THAT I COULD PURSUE MY OTHER INTERESTS.