Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
Editor’s Note: Longtime Bedford resident Donald Drouin passed away recently, and services were private. In this Appreciation, The Bedford Citizen recognizes his accomplishments and service to the Town of Bedford.
Former State Representative Charley Murphy met Donald Drouin at a political event more than 20 years ago. “We became fast friends and spent many days working together on my campaigns for state representative and his for the Shawsheen Valley Technical High School board. He loved politics and being part of the Shawsheen board where he served with distinction for many years.”
Murphy’s fond memories will always include their days together, “knocking doors and holding signs while discussing the issues of the day — he was a good man and will be missed.” Before moving to Bedford, Mr. Drouin began his public service on the Burlington Zoning Board of Appeals.
Donald Drouin’s first service to the Town of Bedford was on the Capital Expenditures Committee from 1986 to 1988, he then served on the Shawsheen Regional Vocational School Committee from 1998 to 2013, returning for a final term in 2015.
He lived in senior housing at Ashby Place for many years, and Bedford Housing Authority Executive Director Brenda Peacock added, “Donald Drouin was pivotal in the Ashby Place community. Living here for almost 20 years, Mr. Drouin invested a lot of time and effort in bettering not only the Town of Bedford but very importantly, his community, Ashby Place.
“As a Commissioner on the Shawsheen Valley Technical High School board,” she continued, “he was instrumental in the application and approval process for Bedford Housing Authority’s Community Building Deck and Maintenance Garage projects. Both projects may not have happened without his vision and support. He was very proud of the projects and the students and teachers who were involved in getting the projects done. “The Donald”, as I always called him, jokingly, will be missed greatly.
According to Shawsheen Superintendent Tim Broadrick, Mr. Drouin served six terms on the board, where his colleagues elected him as an officer for six of those years, serving as both School Board Secretary and Treasurer.”The Shawsheen Valley Technical community has been enhanced by Attorney Drouin’s quality public service. He will be missed.”
Bedford Selectman Bill Moonan added, “Don was a quite a personality in public, but a very forceful one when it came to integrating Shawsheen Tech into Bedford’s educational offerings. He worked to control Shawsheen’s budget to be sure Bedford’s share of the cost of operating the school was appropriate. And, as important, if not more so, he helped make Bedford students aware of the benefits to be derived from a technical education. ”
Mr. Drouin was a practicing attorney in Bedford for sixteen years. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and his MBA Degree in Finance from Suffolk University. At age 55, he entered Law School and graduated from Southern New England School of Law in 1997. He was a Public Defender with the Committee for Public Counsel Services and a Mental Health Attorney for CPCS for sixteen years.
An active member of the Bedford Democratic Town Committee serving for many terms, Mr. Drouin was a resident in Bedford for more than three decades. As a single parent, he raised his daughter Michele who graduated from the Bedford Public Schools.
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