HAPPENINGS TPI Reports the Passing of Brian Lee Bouchard
In an email message on August 20, 2024, TPI wrote, It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Brian Lee Bouchard, owner and founder of Kingston Turf Farms. He passed on Sunday, August 18, 2024. Brian passed surrounded by his family: His wife Elsie, Darrell Bouchard (brother) of Washington County Turf, and Steven Bouchard (brother) formerly of Stanton Equipment, his daughter Jill, his sons Brock, Brett, Peter, and Matthew and their spouses, and his grandchildren that he adored. He will be greatly missed by his family members and the hundreds if not thousands of friends he made throughout his years running Kingston Turf Farms. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1967, stationed at the Pentagon, he and his brother-in-law, Bob Caruolo, started Kingston Turf Farms in West Kingston, Rhode Island. He was one of the hardest-working men one would ever know, with tremendous drive and commitment, working long days and nights. If there were a problem, he would find a solution, doing what needed to be done to keep the farm going. He was an inventor, an innovator, and a pioneer in all things agriculture-related. His sod harvester, the 4-foot big roll harvester, changed the way sod is harvested today. Brian blazed a trail through the agricultural industry, paving the way for many farms and many farmers throughout his life, sharing his intuitive ideas, knowledge, and expertise with anyone who wanted a little help. Among his proudest accomplishments were the soccer fields he built in the country of Oman in Western Asia. Brian was a great man with the heart of a saint who devoted his life to his business and his family. Tere will be an empty seat in his John Deere 7810 that we will never be able to fill. To pay homage to Brian for all of the things he has done for his family and his employees, Kingston Turf Farms will continue on, providing premium turf products for many years to come, with his son Brock at the helm, his stepson Peter in the field, Mike Clausen keeping the daily routine on track, and his grandchildren, Krysta, Brock Jr., and Kylie in the office answering phones. Without Brian's hard work, his network of friends, his vast knowledge and wisdom, and his quick-witted humor, none of this would be possible. Te Bouchard Family thanks you all for the love and support.
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Please keep the family in your prayers. Brian Bouchard considered TPI members his extended family. If you had the chance to walk with Brian at a TPI conference, you would have had the pleasure of stopping every few minutes to have a chat with a fellow farmer. Turf News asked a couple of those long-term friends for their comments and we share just a snippet of them here. Randy Graff, TPI President 2008-2009, and now retired from Graff’s Turf, Fort Morgan, Colorado, reminisced about the many discussions about artificial turf he and Brian had when both served on the TPI Board. Te two first met when Randy was working with George Toma to supply the sod to Chicago’s Soldier Field for the World Cup Soccer matches. Randy said, “We got the bid to supply the grass, but they wanted it harvested with a 4-foot-roll harvester. Brian had invented that machine, which was manufactured by Turfco, and was one of the few who had one. Te Chicago folks contracted Brian to harvest the sod at our Colorado farm and install it in Chicago. Tat started our life-long friendship and led to multiple shared adventures over the years.” Kevin Kenyon, owner of Turf North America Farms, Wyoming, RI, first met Brian Bouchard when, at 20, he started working at Brian’s sod farm. Kevin reported, “Brain was an innovator. He started growing sod in 1967 and developed the first big sod farm in the region. Like many others, I learned from working for Brian and then went on to start my own sod farm. He developed so many “disciples,” he was the creator of the sod industry in the southern part of New England. He was the first to use a truck-mounted forklift. He invented and built the prototype for the big roll harvester. One of my nicknames for him was Father Flanagan because he would help any of his people whenever they needed it. He was a great guy, a great mentor, and a great friend over many years.” Brian Bouchard bought his first Corvette when he left the army and sold it to buy the seed for his first sod crop. He didn’t buy another Corvette until the early 2000s but then bought more so his family could also have the fun of driving one. A huge NASCAR fan, Brian considered the 2019 International Education Conference in Charlotte, NC, the best time to share his passion for Vets with his TPI family, generously donating a 1975 Corvette convertible to be auctioned as a TLI Fundraiser.
TPI Turf News November/December 2024
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