June 6, 2021
Henry was born on January 29, 1965 in Framingham, Massachusetts. He passed away at his home in North Chittenden, Vermont, on May 20, 2021.
A loving and devoted father and husband, Henry always put his family first. He was proud of his daughters, Renée and Eliese, supporting them in every way. A tradition of building campfires together by their pond is a memory his daughters will always treasure. He and his family enjoyed the gift of a happy, quiet home.
From childhood on, Henry took great pleasure in brook trout fishing and camping. With his wife, Kirsten, he added hiking to his list of hobbies. Over the years, they covered many miles of trails together through the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Henry was also an enthusiastic sports fan, especially for his local Boston teams. In his youth he played on ice hockey teams, and in later years, as a resident of Vermont, he joined a local ice hockey team and played with them for more than 15 years, even into March of 2020.
Fond of watching his backyard birds, he dotted his property with bird houses and bird feeders. He delighted in keeping track of what kinds of birds became his tenants and his guests through the seasons.
As an avid and passionate gardener, he found peace and joy in growing and nurturing organic vegetables. He was especially proud of his tomatoes, beans, squashes, basil, and leeks. He spent every winter season researching seeds, eager for the next planting season when he could mix and prep the soil to start his seedlings once again. He also had an appreciation for what other farmers produced, so visiting the local farmers’ market was fun and interesting.
Henry graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries from Unity College in 1988, which put him on the road to a career as a successful fish biologist with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Recently he said, “I feel so lucky to have had my dream job. I loved working with everyone.” On April 11, 2020, he was awarded the Superior Service Award of the Department of the Interior. The citation reads as follows:
Mr. Bouchard has made significant contributions to National Fish Hatcheries and fish conservation over his 24-year career in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Lake Champlain, the Lower Great Lakes, and across Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York through his dedication, leadership, relationships with partners, commitment to science, passion for fish culture, and enthusiasm for educating youth.
He is a talented fish culturist efficiently producing quality fish to restore and maintain fish populations and fisheries, a thoughtful administrator overseeing and supporting multiple staff and complex operations at three hatcheries, and a valued partner.
Mr. Bouchard is the Hatchery Manager at Dwight. D. Eisenhower, White River, and Berkshire National Fish Hatcheries, where he has been responsible for major re-openings and renovations. In 2006, he was instrumental in re-opening the historic Berkshire hatchery, managing volunteers to successfully operate it as the first and only hatchery in the National Fish Hatchery System run solely by volunteers. He then transitioned Berkshire to a federally-staffed hatchery providing lake trout for the Great Lakes and brook trout for educational events across Massachusetts.
Mr. Bouchard was instrumental in re-opening White River hatchery in 2016 after it was damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. He worked with Service staff and partners to develop consensus on a new restoration and research mission focused on salmon and lake trout and brought the facility online by implementing extensive repairs and renovations. At the same time that he re-opened and operated these two facilities, Mr. Bouchard led major improvements at the historic Dwight D. Eisenhower hatchery. At all three hatcheries, he works closely with staff, partners, and universities on innovative research and assessment approaches to ensure that current and future fish culture and stocking approaches are effective, and he applies the results from this research, resulting in improved performance of hatchery fish in the wild. Mr. Bouchard also supports multiple public events at the hatcheries and provides fish for off-site events to engage youth and increase support for fish conservation.
For his sustained outstanding accomplishments, Henry J. Bouchard III is granted the Superior Service Award of the Department of the Interior.
As a colleague recently wrote:
“The results of his work are salmon returning to rivers and reproducing naturally for the first time in over 150 years in Lake Champlain (and soon to Lake Ontario) — an historic accomplishment.”
And another said:
“I am honored to have worked with such a dedicated and skilled person whose demeanor and encouraging insight was the calm of every storm we have ever encountered over the years.”
His constant, gentle, strong presence and his great sense of humor, which never failed to surprise and delight his family, will be forever missed.
In place of flowers or other donations, it would have brought Henry great joy to know that you paid tribute to him by supporting your local farmer’s market.
Death is never a clean break — some stardust always remains. ~Terri Guillemots
A loving and devoted father and husband, Henry always put his family first. He was proud of his daughters, Renée and Eliese, supporting them in every way. A tradition of building campfires together by their pond is a memory his daughters will always treasure. He and his family enjoyed the gift of a happy, quiet home.
From childhood on, Henry took great pleasure in brook trout fishing and camping. With his wife, Kirsten, he added hiking to his list of hobbies. Over the years, they covered many miles of trails together through the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Henry was also an enthusiastic sports fan, especially for his local Boston teams. In his youth he played on ice hockey teams, and in later years, as a resident of Vermont, he joined a local ice hockey team and played with them for more than 15 years, even into March of 2020.
Fond of watching his backyard birds, he dotted his property with bird houses and bird feeders. He delighted in keeping track of what kinds of birds became his tenants and his guests through the seasons.
As an avid and passionate gardener, he found peace and joy in growing and nurturing organic vegetables. He was especially proud of his tomatoes, beans, squashes, basil, and leeks. He spent every winter season researching seeds, eager for the next planting season when he could mix and prep the soil to start his seedlings once again. He also had an appreciation for what other farmers produced, so visiting the local farmers’ market was fun and interesting.
Henry graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries from Unity College in 1988, which put him on the road to a career as a successful fish biologist with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Recently he said, “I feel so lucky to have had my dream job. I loved working with everyone.” On April 11, 2020, he was awarded the Superior Service Award of the Department of the Interior. The citation reads as follows:
Mr. Bouchard has made significant contributions to National Fish Hatcheries and fish conservation over his 24-year career in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Lake Champlain, the Lower Great Lakes, and across Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York through his dedication, leadership, relationships with partners, commitment to science, passion for fish culture, and enthusiasm for educating youth.
He is a talented fish culturist efficiently producing quality fish to restore and maintain fish populations and fisheries, a thoughtful administrator overseeing and supporting multiple staff and complex operations at three hatcheries, and a valued partner.
Mr. Bouchard is the Hatchery Manager at Dwight. D. Eisenhower, White River, and Berkshire National Fish Hatcheries, where he has been responsible for major re-openings and renovations. In 2006, he was instrumental in re-opening the historic Berkshire hatchery, managing volunteers to successfully operate it as the first and only hatchery in the National Fish Hatchery System run solely by volunteers. He then transitioned Berkshire to a federally-staffed hatchery providing lake trout for the Great Lakes and brook trout for educational events across Massachusetts.
Mr. Bouchard was instrumental in re-opening White River hatchery in 2016 after it was damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. He worked with Service staff and partners to develop consensus on a new restoration and research mission focused on salmon and lake trout and brought the facility online by implementing extensive repairs and renovations. At the same time that he re-opened and operated these two facilities, Mr. Bouchard led major improvements at the historic Dwight D. Eisenhower hatchery. At all three hatcheries, he works closely with staff, partners, and universities on innovative research and assessment approaches to ensure that current and future fish culture and stocking approaches are effective, and he applies the results from this research, resulting in improved performance of hatchery fish in the wild. Mr. Bouchard also supports multiple public events at the hatcheries and provides fish for off-site events to engage youth and increase support for fish conservation.
For his sustained outstanding accomplishments, Henry J. Bouchard III is granted the Superior Service Award of the Department of the Interior.
As a colleague recently wrote:
“The results of his work are salmon returning to rivers and reproducing naturally for the first time in over 150 years in Lake Champlain (and soon to Lake Ontario) — an historic accomplishment.”
And another said:
“I am honored to have worked with such a dedicated and skilled person whose demeanor and encouraging insight was the calm of every storm we have ever encountered over the years.”
His constant, gentle, strong presence and his great sense of humor, which never failed to surprise and delight his family, will be forever missed.
In place of flowers or other donations, it would have brought Henry great joy to know that you paid tribute to him by supporting your local farmer’s market.
Death is never a clean break — some stardust always remains. ~Terri Guillemots