He was a beloved establishment at Piscataquis Neighborhood Excessive Faculty in Guilford.
Joe Gallant used to teach monitor and women soccer at PCHS and was a bodily education-health trainer earlier than turning into the athletic director. However he had simply resigned to open a driving faculty.
Gallant died unexpectedly in his sleep on Thursday. He was 57.
He attended faculties in Bangor and earned a level from the College of Maine in 1987. He started instructing bodily schooling in SAD 4 within the Guilford space in 1986 after first instructing in Steuben.
He had been the athletic director at PCHS the previous six years.
Along with teaching, instructing and his administrative stints, Bangor native Gallant had additionally been a basketball referee for over 25 years. He was additionally a member of the Maine Principals’ Affiliation’s tennis committee.
Information of his passing surprised your complete japanese Maine neighborhood.
“It’s horrible, horrible information,” mentioned Mike Bisson, the assistant govt director of the MPA.
“He was one of many nicest guys I’ve ever met,” mentioned Central Excessive of Corinth athletic director Jared Foster. “He labored exhausting to make his faculty’s applications higher for the youngsters and the coaches.”
Foster added that Gallant was “fantastic” to work with.
“He was a type of guys who, while you wanted to alter a recreation round, he would go above and past to make it simpler for everyone else,” Foster mentioned. “He cherished children, to not point out his personal. He was a proud dad. He cherished being a dad.”
Gallant and spouse Amanda have a son, Jonah.
Orono Excessive Faculty athletic director Mike Archer had recognized Gallant since 1990.
“We’re all surprised. He was such an important colleague,” Archer mentioned.
“He was a extremely honest, easy-going man. He was a student-driven individual. He cared a lot about children,” Archer mentioned. “He embedded himself within the Guilford neighborhood and it’s fairly evident what he meant to folks in the neighborhood by studying all of the tributes from his former college students and gamers.”
Gallant spent a number of years as a member of the MPA’s tennis committee.
“He was our regional tennis coordinator for the qualifiers and the singles match,” Bisson mentioned. “He cared. He wished to verify every part was carried out proper. I actually appreciated his optimistic perspective in the direction of that.”
Schenck Excessive Faculty of East Millinocket athletic director John Montgomery mentioned Gallant supplied him with “wonderful steerage” when it got here to explaining the brackets and the seedings for the regional tennis tournaments.
He additionally mentioned that Gallant was a top quality basketball referee.
“He was fantastic with the youngsters and the coaches. If that they had a query, as soon as he had a second to take action, he would clarify to the coach what he noticed and the way he interpreted it,” mentioned Montgomery.
Gallant was a priceless useful resource throughout the COVID-19 period, Montgomery mentioned.
“We’re each at small faculties so we might depend on one another and focus on how one can deal with protocols and ensure we had been on the identical web page. He was excellent to work with,” he mentioned.
Former Foxcroft Academy athletic director Tim Smith mentioned Gallant was “beloved” in the neighborhood.
“He was one of many good ones,” mentioned Lee Academy athletic director Randy Harris. “He had an important humorousness. I actually loved working with him.”
The athletic administrators mentioned he was enthusiastic about opening his driving faculty later this month.
It was going to be referred to as the Gallant Driver Schooling Faculty.
“He appeared actually blissful,” Bisson mentioned.
There might be a visitation for him on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. on the Lary Funeral Dwelling in Dover-Foxcroft. The burial might be on the Rural Grove Cemetery in Dover-Foxcroft.
