AUGUSTA – Lucien Gerard “Lou” Labbe, 82, died peacefully in his sleep with his family by his side on Feb. 10, 2021 at his Monroe Street home. Lucien was born in Augusta on Oct. 9, 1938, to Adelard and Marie Anne (Boulette) Labbe.

He was a graduate of St. Augustine School and the Cony High School class of 1957. He belonged to St. Michael Parish and was a lifetime communicant at St. Augustine Catholic Church. In 1959, Lucien married Angela “Angie” (Sirois) Labbe. Together, they raised three children in their home on Franklin Street.

Lucien resided in Augusta’s Sand Hill community his entire life. For 42 years, he owned and operated Labbe’s Market on the corner of Monroe and Oxford. The market closed in 1994, and was one of the last neighborhood stores (“les magasins”) to serve the people of Sand Hill. Children from the old neighborhood remember Mr. Labbe fondly as “the penny candy man,” and many of his customers and visitors became lifelong friends. He later worked for Central Plate Glass, M.S. Electric, and Peachey Builders.

Lucien served in the Maine Army National Guard between 1957 and 1964. He volunteered as player agent and vice president of Augusta North Little League. In 2021, he became a 50-year member of Le Club Calumet.

Lucien had a generous spirit, a tender heart, and a deep sense of fairness. His warm humor and profound memory made him a great keeper of stories with a special ability to bring them to life in French, English, and in between. He gave endlessly of himself to others: not only stories with names and dates, but also history lessons, political opinions, peanut butter fudge, AM-radio tunes, jokes and nicknames, vegetables from the garden he loved tending, time and attention, a helping hand.

Lucien was a jack of all trades who built and repaired with resourcefulness and ingenuity. He maintained a vast collection of coins that he loved to share with his many relatives. He was also an avid football and baseball fan, and especially loved watching his kids and grandkids perform and compete.

Through his late wife’s long-term illnesses, Lucien was primary caregiver and he remained, into his own last days, a giving father, Pepere, and Great Pepere.

Lucien was predeceased by his wife of 53 years, Angela “Angie” (Sirois) Labbe; his great-granddaughter, Grace Elizabeth Labbe; his brothers, Gerard and Paul and four sisters, Arlene Gagnon, Simone Rodrigue, Lorette Rancourt, and Theresa Veilleux.

He is survived by three children, James Labbe and wife Jill of Chelsea, Linda Albert and husband Rick of Augusta, and Karen Stebbins and husband Mark of Farmingdale; grandchildren, James Labbe, Jr. and wife Whitney of Augusta, Jessica Labbe of Hallowell, Nicolas Albert and wife Megan Trotter of San Francisco, Calif., Jacob Albert and fiancée Samantha Deming-Berr of Augusta, Quinton Stebbins, Austin Stebbins, and Ian Stebbins of Farmingdale; great-grandchildren, Nickolas Carr, Matthew Labbe, and Benjamin Labbe of Augusta, Mason Fiske of Hallowell and West Gardiner, Jude Albert of San Francisco and Max and Rosie Albert of Augusta; sister, Claudette Masselli and husband Jerome of Chelsea, sisters-in-law, Marilyn Sirois of Augusta and Mona Berube and husband Lucien of Augusta; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

There are no public visiting hours. A graveside service will be held at a later date at Holy Family Cemetery on Townsend Road in Augusta.

Condolences, photos, and stories may be shared through the funeral home website at http://www.plummerfh.com.

Contributions may be made in Lucien’s name to:

Calumet Educational & Literary Foundation

P.O. Box 2085

Augusta, ME 04338-2085 or:

Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care

P.O. Box 828

Waterville, ME 04903

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