Alum of the Month April 2007

Dona Bourassa '52

What do motorcycles, four Maine Supreme Court Justices,and retired Erskine teacher Beverly Hancock have in common?

Dona Bourassa may be retired but she’s still having plenty of fun. She credits Erskine and her Commercial Course teacher, Beverly Hancock, for helping her become the happy successful person she is today. Dona and her twin sister, Donzella, grew up in Palermo and attended Erskine, graduating in 1952. While at Erskine Dona participated in softball and cheerleading and has since stayed in close touch with her former teacher, Beverly Hancock, who lives in Gorham, Maine. Shortly after graduating, the Bourassa twins decided to “pound the pavement” in August to find work. Dona was hired as a secretary in the law offices of McLean Southard & Hunt where she learned the ins and outs of being a legal secretary, building on the solid foundation provided by Miss Hancock. Dona exhibited a special skill, and after only four years at McLean Southard & Hunt, she was hired away to serve as the secretary to Maine Supreme Court Justice, F. Harold Dubord. It had always been evident that Dona would work hard for what she wanted. In fact, after just one year out of high school and on a salary of a mere $30 per week, Dona was able to purchase a new car—a 1953 Plymouth—which she paid off in two years. Next it was a 1955 Plymouth convertible, a speedboat in 1960, and so on. Today she drives another convertible—a 2005 Chrysler Seabring.

Meanwhile, Dona continued to be prized for her secretarial skills and was the first secretary to the Maine Supreme Court Justice to be retained by an incoming justice. Harold C. Marden worked hand in hand with Dona for 8 years, then handed her on to the next justice, Sidney W. Wernick, who then handed her on to Daniel E. Wathen. When she finally retired in 1990, she had put in 34 years with four supreme court justices. Impressive! It wasn’t all work and no play for Dona. In 1968, she purchased her first motorcycle, a Honda 150. Soon she upgraded to a Honda 160, then a Honda 300, then a Honda 500, and then a BMW 750, and so on. You can see her pictured here with her current bike—a Yamaha 535—which she uses to buzz around New England and Canada with her sister’s family and their friends. She says they suffer from burnt noses much of the time, and get rained on too. And she’s been lucky never to have an accident, thanks to defensive driving. One favorite story was of a particular trip to Canada about 20 years ago when they were turned away from a motel because the manager thought they were “bikers”. Today they still ride when the weather gets warm, from April to November, but perhaps not as often as before. Dona Bourassa is a great example of what Erskine alumni can do. They can make an important impact in their communities, they can enjoy a vital and exciting lifestyle, and they can stay connected to their school and to the people who made such a difference in their lives. That’s why we salute Dona Bourassa ’52 as the March 2007 Erskine Alum of the Month.