Emil Jon LaBrecque passed away peacefully on September 30, 2019 at Blake Medical Center surrounded by family members.

Jon was born on September 17, 1938 in Plymouth, New Hampshire to Emil George LaBrecque and Queenie Leloa Wright.

Jon is survived by his wife, Terri (Brooks) of Bradenton, Florida, and her daughter, Michelle Bouchard-Rux (and Nathan) of Dunedin, Florida, his three beloved daughters with Fay Dwyer (Cousineau), Andrea (and Rick) DeStefano of Litchfield, New Hampshire, Dr. Erin LaBrecque of Thornton, New Hampshire, and Dori (and Blair) Weeden of Lincoln, New Hampshire, his five cherished grandchildren, Silas, Leah, and Wyatt Weeden of Lincoln, New Hampshire and Miranda and Amelia DeStefano of Litchfield, New Hampshire, and his sister Ann Wiggett of Littleton, New Hampshire and her four children, Scott (and Deb) Wiggett of Littleton New Hampshire, Rhoda (and Paul) Cheney of Salem, Oregon, and Tammy Seiler and Holly Glanville of Forest Grove, Oregon.

Jon grew up in West Thornton, New Hampshire, exploring the forests, fishing in the rivers and ponds, and creating a little mischief along the way. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1956. In his early 20s Jon fell in love with flying while serving as a helicopter transport pilot in the Army during the Vietnam War. He loved serving his country, and he was always happiest when his head was literally in the clouds. Throughout his life, Jon held several aviation licenses for various aircrafts including a fixed-wing Cherokee 6, a lake amphibian plane, and an Enstrom helicopter that he flew for search and rescue in the White Mountains.

Jon had a big heart, genuinely believed in service to the community, and was always one of the first to lend a helping hand. He was a founding member of the Lin-Wood Ambulance Service and the Lin-Wood Medical Center in Lincoln, NH, and he was one of the original, nationally registered Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Jon served as a Trustee at Littleton Regional Hospital from 2001 to 2004, and he was president of the Lin-Wood Rotary from 1997 to 1998 where he was instrumental in organizing the club’s largest raffle to help benefit local, graduating high school students. Jon also served as the assistant district governor of Rotary from 1998 to 2001, and he was a trusted bail commissioner who worked tirelessly, assisting law enforcement in Grafton County, NH for over 40 years.

Jon lead by example with an unparalleled work ethic. Returning to North Woodstock after his military service, he started the Northwind Restaurant, where he could be found most nights doing whatever work needed to get done – from sweeping up to cooking the meatloaf. He took pride in every job he had, and he always respected the people he worked with. Jon was the general manager of the Beacon Resort in Lincoln NH for 20 years where most of the staff and regular guests became his good friends. After moving on from the Beacon, Jon founded and owned the Shuttle Connection – the first 24-hour transportation service in Lincoln and Woodstock. He made sure people were able to get where they needed to go, whether it was getting safely home after a night out or a ride to the grocery store to get the week’s groceries. Many of his locals had tabs because he understood the value of a person’s word and knew how to take care of people. Jon retired and moved to Bradenton, Florida with his wife Terri in 2004, but he wasn’t ready to slow down. He worked at the Pinebrook – Ironwood golf course for 13 years managing the cart barn and teaching all the younger employees the value of a day’s work. Continuing with his love of community service, Jon was on the Sherriff’s Advisory Board for Manatee County and an active member of the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Jon was not technologically savvy, but he was always ready to embrace new ideas. One could often hear him exclaim, “well, isn’t that’s the cat’s meow” when he learned something new, making everyone around him smile just a bit wider. Jon was always ready to give a smile or a hug or a kind word because he saw the best in people.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made in Jon’s name to Boston Children’s Hospital or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

A memorial service will be held on October 5, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church in Bradenton, FL.

A celebration of Jon's life will also be held in Lincoln, New Hampshire on Saturday, November 9, 2019, at 11 a.m. at the Father Roger Bilodeau Community Center. We hope you can join us to celebrate Jon's life.