Educator, Mentor, Gentleman
Laconia-----James N. McBride, “Jim”, 77, a long time Laconia resident, passed away on Thursday, December 16, 2010 following a valiant battle against the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Jim was born October 3, 1933 in Boston, Mass., the son of the late Harold Patrick and Mary (Newton) McBride. He received his B.A. degree in English literature from Boston College and his MEd from Plymouth State College. Jim was an English teacher, chair of the English Department, vice principal and principal at Laconia High School for more than 20 years. He was later employed as a trainer in the mortgage department at the Boston Five Cents Savings Bank (Citizen’s Bank) in Boston.
Jim loved to travel and, accompanied by his mother, he especially enjoyed a tour of Iran given by his brother, David, who spent a number of years in the country. He had a great fondness for the ocean and the quaint, coastal village of Lubec, Maine.
Jim was a member of SCORE both in Boston and in Laconia. He was a volunteer at the Trinity Church, Boston in a mentoring program with juvenile offenders in local prisons. Jim also taught English composition at SNHU in Gilford and conducted seminars in the Bible and comparative literature at St. Joseph’s Church in Laconia.
Jim is survived by his brother, David H. McBride, of Laconia and three cousins. He also leaves former students, colleagues and friends who were especially kind to him during his illness: Tom O’Shea, Tom Glavin, Katherine Reardon, Brian Frost, the Mikulis family, David R. Knapp, Paul Cotton, the Randal Giddings, Muriel and Pat Keogh, Chris Gatti, Dennis and Sue Baker, Peter Zarilla, Joe Dombeck, Mark and Kim Edgerly, Tara Columb and Margarite Sampson.
A special thanks to Ellie Jacques, Louise Ellis, Christopher Guilmett and John Inglis of the Laconia Savings Bank; Betty Ballantyne and the Irwin’s staff; the staff of the Laconia Post Office and the compassionate, caring of the nursing staff at the Taylor Community.
A Graveside Service will be held in the spring at the family lot in Bay View Cemetery, Lubec, Maine.
Memorial donations in Jim’s memory may be made payable to Children’s Hospital Boston, Children’s Hospital Trust, 1 Autumn Street #731, Boston, MA 02215-5301 or to the McBride Family Endowment, Lubec Public Library, Main Street, Lubec, Maine 04652.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N.H. is assisting the family. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.