Wally LaFountain

Surrounded by loved ones, Wallace "Wally" LaFountain passed away peacefully at the Maine Veterans' Home in Augusta on September 19th, 2025. Born on August 19th, 1926, in Windsor, Vermont, Wallace was the fifth child of Ephraim and Flora Thrasher LaFountain. After graduating high school in 1944, Wally enlisted and proudly served in the US Army's 28th Infantry Division in the European Theater of World War II. In two campaigns, he earned the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star among other citations. Upon discharge from the army, Wally attended Springfield College, earning his bachelor's degree in 1950. As a student-athlete he played and lettered in football all four years. In the 1990s, he was named to the Springfield College Football "All Decades Team" for the 1940s. More importantly, it was at Springfield that he met and married the love of his life, Audrey Tomah.

Wally's chosen field was physical education, which led him and his growing family to his first high school football coaching position in Bergenfield, NJ; then to Wellsville, NY; and, finally, to Winslow, Maine. From 1958 through 1970 he taught and coached at Winslow High School, fielding successful teams in football (State Champions in 1958 and 1960) and baseball - where he coached varsity and also umpired Little League games for ten years. Additionally, he was a high school basketball official for eighteen years, and during this time he was also instrumental in bringing the sport of wrestling to Maine high schools, as both an advocate and official for the sport. He was a charter member and President of the Maine Interscholastic Wrestling Officials Association for sixteen years, served on the national rules committee for four years, and was inducted into the Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. Wally was co-founder of the Maine-Nebraska Friendship Series - a continuing wrestling/cultural exchange program that he directed for ten years. This groundbreaking program, now in its 40th year, is the longest running sports exchange in the country. 'Coach' later moved on to the Maine State Department of Education, all while earning his master's degree at the University of Maine in 1970. After sixteen productive years working in school accreditation across the state, he retired from the Department of Education in 1986. After retirement, Wally still managed to stay involved with Winslow athletics, and he was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

The most noteworthy of his accomplishments, however, was the family that he created with Audrey. Some of his happiest times were around the dinner table, where meals were never just about good food but about laughter, stories, and being together. Anyone who knew Wally knows that he had a gift for making everyone feel at home, and somehow ordinary evenings turned into the kind of memories that stay with you forever. No matter how full everyone claimed to be, Wally always managed to "push the food down" for dessert with a little Drambuie, turning even a simple sweet treat into a reason to laugh a little longer and stay at the table together.

Wally was predeceased by his wife Audrey; his sister Sylvia, and brothers Richard, Manton and Maurice. He is survived by his children Sheila LaFountain; Wes LaFountain and wife Jean; Linda LaFountain; David LaFountain and wife Lee Ann; Mark LaFountain and wife Kelly; grandchildren Brian Reynolds, Josh and Jayson Neault, Marie Brace and Beth LaFountain, Caitlin Dixon and Alex LaFountain, Joshua and Jacob Key-Maginnis; and great-grandchildren Damon, Noah, and Kurtis Reynolds; Gwen Brace; Ben, Tyler, and David Fisher; and Audrey Dixon.

The family would like to give heartfelt thanks to the staff at the Maine Veterans' Home for the loving care they provided to Wally during his time as a resident there. It is deeply appreciated. The family would also like to extend their heartfelt thanks to Beacon Hospice for their loving care.

Visiting hours will be at Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm Street, Waterville, Maine on Sunday, September 28 from 2:00-4:00 pm and from 6:00-8:00 pm. A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, September 29, 2025 at 1:00 pm at the Winslow VFW, 175 Veteran Drive, Winslow, Maine. A private burial service will be held at Glenside Cemetery in Winthrop, Maine, where he will be interred alongside his beloved Audrey.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Winslow High School Football Boosters, c/o Winslow High School, 20 Danielson Street, Winslow, ME 04901.