Dracut

On September 11th, 2023, John J. Beaulieu Jr., 77, passed away at Oak Hill Healthcare in Middleboro, MA after a brief illness.

Born in Bath, New York on October 9, 1945 he was the son of educators; the late Lt. Colonel John J. Beaulieu Sr., a military drill instructor and health and physical education instructor at Lowell High School and the late Grace W. Beaulieu, a home economics teacher at Dracut High School.

John grew up in Dracut, MA and attended Dracut Public Schools. He was an honor student as well as a talented athlete and lettered in three sports for multiple years, captaining the basketball team in 1963, his senior year. Followed by a college preparatory year at Phillip's Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, he was a place kicker on the football team. John kicked the extra point, winning Exeter's "rival game" against Phillip's Andover by a score of 9-8 in the fall of 1963. It was Exeter's first victory over Andover since 1956. John entered Harvard University in the fall of 1964 with a dual major in Economics and History and graduated cum laude from Harvard in 1968 as a member of the football team, the Hasty Pudding Club, the Varsity Club and a multitude of academic organizations in Leverett House and on campus. He continued his academic pursuits at Harvard where he received his Master's Degree in Education.

John chose a profession in the academic arena at the college level. He remained with Harvard as a Director of Admissions for many years until Harvard and Radcliffe merged and then moved onto a Director of Admissions position at Rivier College in Nashua, N.H. Choosing an upward track he chose a Dean of Admissions position at New England College in Henniker, N.H. and finally, Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. John was an avid reader, writer, sports enthusiast and animal advocate. His constant inquiry for more information, on any subject was insatiable which led to much discussion and long and loud debates; not always to everyone's liking. These 'debates' usually prompted one of his father's favorite sayings, "you can always tell a Harvard man, you just can't tell him much!"

John is survived by his sister, Bonnie and her husband Stephen A. Haas of Brewster, MA, his nephew Matthew B. Haas and his partner, Erin Gallagher of Orleans, MA and several cousins and their families throughout the United States located especially in Florida, Virginia, Missouri and Nevada. John was predeceased by his nephew Alex B. Haas from Brewster in 2005.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alex B Haas Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o 293 Cranview Road, Brewster, MA 02631. For more information please go online to alexbhaas.org or to Best Friends Animal Society at bestfriends.org.

A committal service honoring John's life will be held in the chapel at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Chelmsford, MA on Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 at 2pm.

Notes of comfort may be made to his family at www.chapmanfuneral.com

View the online memorial for John J. Beaulieu Jr.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Lowell Sun on Oct. 1, 2023.