Paul Henry LaFlamme

Paul H. LaFlamme, 82, of Monson, Massachusetts, passed away on September 13, 2025, at the Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst. Gentle and dignified until the very end, he embodied the contradictions that make us human: questioning of orthodoxies yet deeply invested in the way things used to be; a self-described hermit who was somehow at ease in any context; a scientist and a mystic.

Paul was born on January 12, 1943 to Albert LaFlamme and Alice (Bourdeau) LaFlamme in Springfield. He grew up in Ware in a French-speaking home, not far from the mills that brought his forebears to New England from the farms of southern Quebec. After graduating from Ware High School in 1961, he went on to study chemistry at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. He also completed a Master’s degree in teaching from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Paul started his rich and varied career as a chemistry teacher at Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham, where he created a much-loved course on personal development known as Horizons. Restless after more than a decade in the classroom, he took a job as a market researcher at Springborn Laboratories in Enfield, Connecticut. Later in life he founded his own business, Soquela Group, and pursued opportunities in Haiti with his business partner, Hugo Allen.

In 1966, he met Gloria (Gelinas) LaFlamme, and they married in 1968. Initially unsure if they wanted to have children, the couple put down roots in Monson and spent many summers traveling throughout Europe before deciding to start a family of their own. Paul was a devoted father, husband, and son, tirelessly supporting those he cared about and unblocking the way for them whenever he could.

A lifelong seeker, he wrote a book about the future of the Catholic Church (The Cross and the Chameleon, 1975) and was later ordained a deacon. He served as president of ActFANE in the early 1990s, and held leadership positions in the Richelieu Club and ACA Assurance. He loved fishing at the Quabbin and getaways to the Grafton Inn, and his pork chops avesnoises were the stuff of legend.

Paul was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his wife Gloria, who is in memory care in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts; his son Marcel LaFlamme and his husband Michael Klein, of Greenfield; and his daughter Marie-Claire (LaFlamme) Foley and her husband Sean Foley, of Belchertown; as well as his grandchildren Noah and Audrey.

A private burial was held at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Ware. A memorial Mass and celebration of life will be held at Bethany Charismatic Catholic Church, 167 Dunhamtown Palmer Rd., in Brimfield on September 27, 2025, at 4pm.

Charbonneau Funeral Homes, 30 Pleasant St., in Ware is honored to assist his family with his funeral arrangements. An online tribute page is available at charbonneaufh.com