WILMINGTON- Ovide J. Dupuis, 78, a resident of Route 100, died peacefully Monday morning, January 25, at Pine Heights Nursing Home in Brattleboro, surrounded by his loving family.

Mr. Dupuis parents , Sylvio and Beatrice Dupuis, relocated from Canada in the early 1930’to Connecticut where Ovide was born on April 26, 1931 in New Haven. Shortly thereafter they returned to Canada where Mr. Dupuis and his siblings grew up. At the age of 14 he went to work logging in New Hampshire with his brother, using teams of horses to skid the logs from the woods. Mr. Dupuis eventually began logging in Vermont , first in Ludlow, where he cut trails for Okemo Ski Area, and then contracted for Buck and George Crafts of Wilmington. He also logged for John Poor and Tony Cersosimo.

A logger by trade, in his later years Mr. Dupuis established a very successful home care and maintenance business with many of his family members. His son Bernard continues to operate the business. Mr. Dupuis was an active member in the local congregation of Jehovah Witnesses, his love for his God Jehovah and his family were paramount in his life. Mr. Dupuis was a self -taught man who learned the logging trade and learned to read, write, and speak English on his own. He had enjoyed snowmobiling throughout his life with family and in the early 1960s sold Moto-Ski snowmobiles and McCullough chainsaws. He also took up racing Ski-Doo snowmobiles in the area. He and the family enjoyed many camping trips in the New Hampshire White Mountains for several years. He had traveled across country four times and enjoyed the trip through the Canadian Rockies the most.

Mr. Dupuis leaves his wife, Joanne (Houle) Dupuis, who he married at their home on May 20, 1972; sons, Bernard and wife Lynn Dupuis, of Wilmington, Scott and wife Crystal Dupuis, of Wilmington, and Daniel and wife Melanie Dupuis, of Bonita Springs, FL; daughters Carlene and husband James Duke, of South Deerfield, MA, Debbie and husband Steve Alford, of Terra Alta, W V, Cathy and husband Dale Putnam of Shelburne, MA; brothers Herve, Donald, Henri, Andre and Jean Guy Dupuis; sisters Aline and Lise Dupuis; 11 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by a son Marc Dupuis who died in infancy on March 23,1974; grandchildren Micah Dupuis, on December 31, 2005, and Danielle Dupuis who died January 24, 1984; brothers Conrad, Edouard, Yvon, Robert, Laurent, and Gerald Dupuis; and sister Rejeanne Lemieux.

A memorial will be held on Saturday, January 30, at 2 pm at the Kingdom Hall on Route 100 in Whitingham; burial will be private. Friends may call at the Covey & Allen Funeral Home in Wilmington on Friday evening from 5 to 8 pm when the family will be present.