Deceased: 2023-06-20
Diocese: PORTLAND IN MAINE
Seminary Graduation Year: 1962
BRUNSWICK – Paul B. Archambault “Boo”, 87, died on June 20, 2023, after battling dementia. Paul, born 1936, was the oldest of four brothers – James, Peter and John – born to Corinne (Thibodeau) and Paul Archambault of Madawaska, the last of the four brothers to depart this earth.
He is survived by his wife, Elaine (Strein), son Matthew (and wife Stefanie), as well as a large network of cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws across the Eastern Seaboard, Central Midwest and West Coast.
Paul’s exuberance and stoic leadership extended to all those he met, with his infectious smile and propensity for equivocal sayings often influencing those with whom he crossed paths.
Paul’s legacy can best be summed up as ‘family first’, being an anchor and father figure to his brothers after their father passed at an early age.
Paul grew up in Northern Maine, spending his early days picking potatoes in Aroostook County before moving on to find solace in theology, eventually graduating from the Pontifical North American College, located adjacent to Vatican City, Rome. Upon first meeting Elaine while stationed in Africa, they reconnected back in the U.S., and after multiple long-distance trips from Northern Maine to New York, decided to explore another life altogether pursuing the sacrament of matrimony. Paul went on to obtain a Masters’s from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, which led to a fulfilling life as a civil engineer that took him around the world, and eventually back to the U.S. and Chicago. Upon retiring in Brunswick, he volunteered at Bowdoin College for track meets and attended every continuing education class he could.
Paul was competitive to his core, translating to his love of multiple sports/teams including the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, Red Sox, Golf (notably the Masters), Tennis, and an Augustinian school on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Villanova University. Paul was also an information seeker and history lover, at one point having subscriptions to 20-plus newspapers, which he would find a way to integrate into every conversation.
Services will take place at St. Charles Borromeo in Brunswick, on Thursday June 29, at 11 a.m. EST. The mass will be officiated by Monsignor Charles Murphy, a lifelong friend and confidant.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made in Paul’s name to either of the following organizations: Maryknoll (www.maryknollsociety.org/) or Mission22 (www.mission22.com/)
