HALLOWELL – Rene B. Rodrigue, 89, passed away peacefully on Aug. 10, 2020 at his home at Granite Hill Estates in Hallowell, with his son and daughter by his side, after a short and courageous battle with cancer. Rene was born on Sept. 6, 1930, in Saint Benoit, Quebec, Canada, a son of Alphee and Irene (Veilleux) Rodrigue. When Rene was 15 years old, his parents and 10 siblings moved from Saint Benoit to Chelsea. Rene married the love of his life, Constance Gregoire in October 1950.Shortly before Rene and Connie were married, when Rene was only 19, he began construction of his and Connie’s first home in Augusta. A few years later, he started his own construction business, Rodrigue Builders, building hundreds of homes in the Augusta area before retiring from the business when he was in his 60s. Rene is a Life Member of Le Club Calumet. After retiring, he and Connie enjoyed many years together, spending time in Florida, traveling with friends, golfing at Westernview, bowling and playing cards with friends. Rene loved to garden. After he and Connie moved to Granite Hill Estates, vegetable garden space was established so that he could continue gardening there. Granite Hill recently dedicated the garden, with a plaque, for his years of care, work and skill in growing vegetables for the enjoyment of Granite Hill Estates residents. Rene learned and became an avid bridge player while living at Granite Hill. He played regularly and was in great demand as a substitute. Some of Rene’s favorite special memories were time spent with his two granddaughters when they were young, playing cards and games and taking them to McDonalds. His favorite day of the year was Christmas Eve, when his entire family gathered for an evening of fun and gift giving.Rene had a great sense of humor, loved teasing and joking with everyone, most recently with the nurses at MaineGeneral and the Hospice staff and caregivers who visited him at home. Rene always put others before himself. An example is how he would apologize to his nurses and hospice staff for “bothering” them when he needed something, or being concerned that they would “quit” because he felt he was asking too much of them, which he never was. Rene was always cheerful and had a smile on his face until the end.Rene is predeceased by his parents; his wife of nearly 66 years, Constance; two brothers Roland Rodrigue and Normand Rodrigue; and his daughter-in-law Maureen Rodrigue.He is survived by his son, Paul Rodrigue of Fort Pierce, Fla., his daughter, Rose Anne Rodrigue of Augusta; his granddaughter, Michelle Rodrigue and her daughter Chloe of Port Saint Lucie, Fla.; his granddaughter Katharin South, her husband Richard, and their son, Lewis of Port Saint Lucie, Fla.; one brother, Jean Rodrigue and his wife Rosemary, of Englewood, Fla.; seven sisters, Noella Barker of Augusta, Jeannine Beland and her husband Laurent, of Augusta, Louisette Dostie and her husband Gilbert, of Merrimack, N.H., Claudette Poulin and her husband Richard of Zephyrhills, Fla., Monique Raymond of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Anne Aube of Sabattus, Theresa Aube of Rockwood; and many nieces and nephews.Rene’s children would like to extend a special thanks to the staff at MaineGeneral and MaineGeneral Hospice for the wonderful care he received from them in the past few weeks, and to his kind and caring home health professionals Lynn and Sherry. A very special thanks to all the staff at Granite Hill Estates for all they did for him during his 10-plus years there, and for providing a safe and comfortable home for Rene and Connie. A private service for Rene’s children and siblings will be held at Plummer Funeral Home, 16 Pleasant Street in Augusta. Committal prayers will be held at 3 p.m. on August 18 the at Holy Family Cemetery, Townsend Road, Augusta, where no more than 100 family and friends may attend. All who attend must adhere to CDC guidelines of social distancing and wearing of masks. Arrangements have been entrusted to Plummer Funeral Home, 16 Pleasant St., Augusta. Condolences, stories and photos may be shared at http://www.plummerfh.com. Contributions may be made in Rene’s memory to the Calumet Educational Foundation,Rene and Connie Rodrigue Memorial Scholarship FundP.O. Box 2085Augusta, ME 04330