Edward “Eddy” LeMaire a life-long hockey extraordinaire passed unexpectedly on July 11, 2020 at the age of 53. We say he passed unexpectedly because we all thought he was a puck hog.
Fast Eddy was born in New Haven on December 20, 1966 to Carmen (Duquette) LeMaire and Louis LeMaire. Carmen recalls that from the moment he understood laughter, that’s all he wanted everyone to do. Legend has it that he was born wearing a pair of skates and a Rangers jersey. Out of respect and not wanting to embarrass those around him, he was kept off the ice until the age of four. From then on, it was difficult to separate him from his destiny. Ed’s father Louis, who was also a lifelong hockey player-turned-coach, coached Eddy in his younger years helping hone Eddy’s natural gifts into the player we all grew to love.
Eddy attended East Haven High School from 1980-1984 where he played center for the varsity team. He was named to the All Housatonic Hockey Team in his Junior and Senior years, setting a school record of 182 points as a Yellowjacket. In the winter of 1985, he played for the Chatham Maroons Western Junior B hockey team. He participated in Hockey Night in Boston and was invited to join the Olympic recruitment team in 1985. While in Ontario, he also played for the Sudbury Wolves Junior A team for the ’85-’86 season. From there, he played professionally in Le Vesinet, France from 1986-1989 and led the league in scoring with 50 goals and 45 assists. He was a member of the 1992 French National Hockey Team and was formerly the Director of the Drummond Hockey School.
Harnessing his natural ability to inspire others, he focused more on coaching. Starting with his sister Janet’s children, Ed would stay at their house overnight and skate with them in the early morning before school started. Eddy’s influence grew as he started getting more ice time with private lessons outside of his family and joining coaching staff. He was a part of the Bridgeport Junior Hockey Association and eventually assisted Coach Marty Crouse with the West Haven Wings. Marty then asked Eddy to join his staff at St. Joseph as an assistance coach in 2009 after the Cadets won the Division III championship. He helped them to the Division II final in his first year and the Division I final the following year. In the 2012-2013 season, he was coach of the Yale Youth Hockey Junior Bulldogs as well as for the Wonderland Wizards at the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport. After a couple of years away, he became St. Joseph’s third head coach in 2016 alongside his “little brother” Chris Nelson as well as coaching multiple age levels of the CT Riverhawks, as well as 2 Way Hockey School. Eddy was driven by sharing his hockey knowledge. The thousands of students he coached were so diverse; boys, girls, men and women...as long as he was on the ice it didn't matter to him. He just wanted to coach and in the words of his sister, Janet, he treated every student as if they were a champion.
Another one of Ed’s passions was fishing. He was an expert angler. While he was only an apprentice baiter, he was hoping to one day achieve the rank of master. Eddy’s three nephews have fond memories of fishing trips with their uncle, as do all of Eddy’s friends and close relatives. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of the outdoors while ripping a fart loud enough that the fishing party across the river would grow concerned and move upstream as Ed smiled and waved in their direction.
Eddy loved life, both human and animal alike, with every fiber of his being. His dog Kipper was always by his side and just as much a part of his family as anyone else. Kipper will be spending his days being cared for by Eddy's roommates Shannon and Brian whom loved Eddy like a brother. Eddy had a passion for coaching, if you couldn’t tell, but what drove that was much larger than hockey. He had the need to be a bright light for people who couldn't find their way out of their own darkness. Countless hockey players have said that he believed in them when nobody else would and showed them why they should believe in themselves. Even outside of hockey, anyone who knew Eddy likely has a dozen jokes that were told them. They can probably think of one right now (some of which they probably should not say out loud). Eddy’s warmth was infectious, his laugh was contagious, and his gas was horrendous. He will be forever missed.
Eddy is survived by his adorned mother Carmen (Duquette) Lemaire of Branford, Ct., and his father Louis Lemaire and Joan Lemaire of Fort Meyers, Florida. Eddy had two siblings, sister Janet (LeMaire) Lockwood and her husband Dewey from Twinsburg, Ohio, and his brother Daniel Lemaire from Miami, Florida. He is also survived by his three nephews: Shawn Shaw and his children Kaylei and Dylan, Kevin Shaw and his wife Crystal with their two children Chole and Angela, Tom and Katie Lockwood with their son Alex. Eddy also had nine cousins, all of which he had extremely close relationships with: Carey Haworth (Isabelle), Sharon Haworth (Claude), Alan Haworth (Danika), Carol Mcgrath (Bill), Lynne Georgette, Sherry Johnson (Rich) & Deborah Duquette. He is also survived by his Uncle Renald Duquette and his wife Suzette, and his Aunt Gyslaine Haworth as well as many extended family members, George Fortin whom he shared a special relationship with, Lynda Zimmer, Chris Silvestro, Leah Duquette, his little cousin Tyler Montanaro who will carry on his famous duck voice for Eddy, Emily Johnson, Katie Johnson, Alex Andranovich, Lauren McGrath (Guy), Melissa Goller (Mitch), Anthony Georgette. His New Hampshire family, Lise Chapdelaine, Dorothee Miner, Andree Lavoie, and Michael Beaudoin. Eddy is predeceased by maternal Grandparents George & Rose Duquette, paternal Grandparents Donat & Doreen Lemaire, Uncle Ronald Lemaire, Uncle Gordon Haworth, and Uncle Rudolph Duquette and his wife Mireille.
Family and friends may call on Sunday, July 26, 2020 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the CODY-WHITE FUNERAL HOME, 107 N. Broad St., Milford, CT 06460. Social distancing and masks will be required. Due to gathering size limitations, only 25 people are allowed inside at a time. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Eddy's honor to The American Heart Association at www.heart.org or the American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org.
For those of you who cannot attend on Sunday, we will be live streaming the service via Zoom.
The Zoom meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m.
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75905606159?pwd=dXNXS0ZkakllV3ZWcWR3UDB2SDNaUT09
Meeting ID: 759 0560 6159
Passcode: 6Qbyhu
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