Dennis F. Doucette, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, and longtime teacher, died peacefully at his home in Hancock, Maine, on July 30, 2026.
Born on August 9, 1936, in Winchester, Mass., Denny was the son of Charles and Octavia (LeBlanc) Doucette. He grew up in Massachusetts and was the salutatorian of the Winchester High School class of 1954. While spending high school summers working for a Winchester High teacher on Birch Island, Denny fell in love with the Maine coast. He played football in both high school and college and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from Williams College. He began his doctorate at Michigan State before moving to Concord, New Hampshire, to teach physics at St. Paul’s School in 1962.
On December 29, 1958, Denny married Gretchen Luitwieler, his high school sweetheart, beginning a life together that lasted 55 years. They lived, worked, and raised their family at St. Paul’s for 34 years, where Denny taught, started the computer science program, chaired the science department, and refereed on the football field and basketball court. He and Gretchen served in loco parentis to countless St. Paul’s students and regularly hosted foreign exchange students. They spent summers in Hancock, Maine, at their house overlooking Frenchman Bay.
In 1980–81, Denny took a sabbatical with the family to Augsburg, Germany, where he volunteered in computer science curriculum development. Denny and Gretchen ensured their children had broad exposure to foreign languages and cultures.
Denny served as a deacon at St. John’s Catholic church in Concord, volunteered for the United Way’s annual food and gift drives, volunteered with the Concord Music Club and local musicians union, participated in numerous local and regional musical productions (Guys and Dolls, Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, Annie, etc.), acted in several plays with the SPS faculty, and sang with the Suncook Valley Chorale long into retirement. Denny and Gretchen split their time between New Hampshire and Maine, where they belonged to St. Paul’s Church (Concord) and the Union Congregational Church (Hancock). Denny moved to Hancock full time in 2020 with Karen Lang, who is grateful for many things about him, but most of all for bringing her back home to Maine.
He was predeceased by his wife, Gretchen, fourth son, Michael, daughter-in-law Jenna, and siblings Norman, Rita, and Charles. He is survived by four children, Peter, Chuck (Ellen), Chris, Rebecca (John), his sister Eunice, six grandchildren—Carl, Marcus, Andrew, Alex, Lucas, and Adam, and Karen Lang.
Celebrations of life are being planned for Hancock, Maine and Concord, NH at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Loaves and Fishes food pantry in Ellsworth, Maine.
Condolences may be expressed at www.acadiacremation.com
My teacher and the man who hired me to teach and be his colleague and mentee as St. Paul’s School’s two-man Computer Science department in 1983. He was a wonderfully kind man/friend/colleague. I send the condolences of the entire Wardrop family.