Rene Goupil : A champion from an early age
By Brittany Brown
Coaches often tell their players that participation in athletics will help them during their lifetime , no matter what path they choose to follow . That was certainly true for Rene Goupil , a member of the title-winning 1962 Thornton football team . When Bob Kimball , a fullback for the team , dove over the goal line and the team took home the gold ball and state title , his teammates erupted in celebration . Their determination , discipline , and hard work had paid off , and the team completed a perfect 9-0 season with that 13-7 win . Rene Goupil ' 65 , a sophomore during that magical season , valued the work and attention to detail that was necessary to be a part of the team . He continued to exhibit those qualities until the day he died in January 1990 . Goupil was a structured individual who served his country and the State of Maine , and his dedication was recently recognized on a national level .
His widow , Norma Goupil , smiled as she recalled seeing him score the winning touchdown during an annual Battle of the Bridge match , though she was sitting on the Tiger sidelines rooting for her home team . Like many during this time , Goupil enlisted when he graduated from TA and joined the Marines . to recount his " spit-shined shoes , waxed floors and immaculate police cruiser ."
Goupil ' s career lasted the remainder of his life , more than 19 years , and he was only six months away from retirement at the time of his passing . He held different roles while working as a Maine State Trooper . Goupil was part of the group that started the K9 unit ; he modeled uniforms for a magazine , and held many patrols before landing back at the academy as a training staff member . Norma cites Rene ’ s role with the training academy as his “ proudest moment ,” and shared that he was invested in putting out a “ good , quality state trooper .” By that time in his career , he had reached the rank of Lieutenant .
Following a routine two-mile training run in January , 1990 , Lt . Goupil suffered a heart attack and passed away . He had recently completed an intensive physical training for the FBI Academy , and according to Norma , was in great health . Years after his death , Maine State Trooper Mike Edes hand-delivered a nomination to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial to have Lt . Goupil ' s name added to the marble memorial in Washington , D . C . The nomination was accepted and in May
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Goupil completed his first tour in Vietnam and came home to his high school sweetheart , Norma . During his time between tours , he asked her father for her hand in marriage , and when they wed , Goupil donned his dress blues . Soon after , Goupil was enlistmented for a second tour in Vietnam and learned that he was expecting his first child . He was fortunate to have a close friend serving with him who aided in getting Goupil home to a very pregnant Norma .
After returning home from the two tours in Vietnam , Goupil worked as a dispatcher for the Scarborough Troop A Barracks for a year . Realizing he had found his calling , Goupil enrolled at the Maine State Police Academy . " He liked the state police because it was very military ," Norma Goupil said , and she went on