Jamie Allard and Dayna LeBlanc place blue and white carnations at the small memorial set up at “Harter’s Corner.” The memorial consisted of a basketball, flowers, cards, pictures, a whistle, a trophy and a banner above it that read “In loving memory of Don “Coach” Harter, 1949–2009, Father, Principal, Coach, Friend.” Photos by Sarah Elliott
When the gymnasium at Lake Region Union High School is filled with people of all ages, there are usually accompanying cheers, laughter, and team spirit. The night of May 13, however, the gym was filled with students, parents, and community members who gathered to mourn the loss of Principal Donald “Coach” Harter.
Mr. Harter died suddenly on May 11 of natural causes. Mr. Harter came to the Lake Region community five years ago as assistant principal. At that time, the school was grieving the loss of several classmates. We, as the student body, were wary of having a new leader, considering we didn’t just get Mr. Harter as an assistant principal, we also had a new principal. Now, five years later, the Lake Region community is hurting again.
As the memorial service began, the Reverend Father Sixmund Nyabenda gave an opening prayer. He spoke of how now is a time to comfort one another.
Following the prayer, Andre Messier, assistant principal, read a quote from a letter written by one of Mr. Harter’s former students back in Indiana: “You’ve taught me about life.” This was not the only reference to Mr. Harter having a lasting influence on people; there were banners hung in the gym with similar statements. Mr. Messier described Mr. Harter as being “our friend, principal, coach, and more to many.”
Following the opening statements, Rachel Miltner, a senior at Lake Region, stood courageously in front of the crowd to sing the national anthem. Emotions took over as Ms. Miltner sang, and the teary-eyed crowd finished the song with her.
Stephen Urgenson, previous principal of Lake Region and current superintendent of Orleans Central Supervisory Union, stood to speak of his former assistant principal. Mr. Urgenson and Mr. Harter came to this community five years ago as a team. They had a relationship often described as being “joined at the hip.” This relationship was strong because when one said something, the other agreed; it was a partnership.
Mr. Harter has been described as having a baritone “James Earl Jones” speaking voice. Mr. Urgenson said when he would visit Lake Region,
The ground leading to the front doors of the high school were colorful as students had also written their goodbye messages in chalk. The cement barriers for parking spaces were moved from their spots and placed in the shape of a D and a H. This memory was written on the inside of the H.
Mr. Harter would greet him by saying, “Doctor, what can I do for you today?” Mr. Harter not only greeted the staff, he also took the time to greet every student who walked into the school in the morning. He loved all the students at Lake Region as if they were his own children. He had high expectations, both academically and athletically, for everyone.
Jeff Simpson, a friend of Mr. Harter’s, stood to speak of the influence Mr. Harter had on him. He jokingly said that while Mr. Harter knew about sports, he did not know about horses. He also made a reference to how Mr. Harter would often say “back in Indiana” when comparing things in Vermont to things in his home state.
Mr. Simpson and members of the sports teams all spoke about how Mr. Harter would stand at the corner of the gym against the mats. If the game was going well, there wasn’t much Mr. Harter would do other than cheer them on; however, if the game wasn’t going to his expectations, he could be seen kicking the wall. When I was a student there, Mr. Harter had stress balls that he would squeeze throughout the games. Mr. Simpson closed with saying how Mr. Harter “lived for the kids.”
James Ingalls, the varsity boys basketball coach at Lake Region, addressed the crowd. He said that to him, Mr. Harter was a friend, mentor, and father figure. Mr. Ingalls thought of himself as a successful coach, but Mr. Harter worked closely with Mr. Ingalls and the boys basketball team and taught him how to succeed. Mr. Harter would attend the practices to work with the players. Mr. Ingalls said that Mr. Harter “showed him how a good coach he could be.” He spoke of Mr. Harter’s passion to have a pep band for the basketball games. Mr. Ingalls closed with saying, “He was most successful at being a friend. I miss my friend.”
Father Nyabenda gave another prayer, communicating to the crowd how times like this are not easy to explain if you do not have faith. He comforted the broken-hearted group by saying, “You are not alone; we are in this together.” That is one of the most important things for people to remember during a time like this; it’s better to cry and grieve together than alone.
Next Scott Burdick and Lake Region students presented a slideshow. The presentation allowed the community to see how wonderful a principal Mr. Harter was. Not only did the pictures show Mr. Harter’s school life, there were family photos from Mr. Harter’s personal life. He was a family man and very proud of his daughter. He loved his family pets, and there were pictures showing him in the rain wearing a yellow rain jacket that matched his dog’s rain jacket.
After the slideshow, some members of various sports teams gathered on the stage to tell of their relationships with Mr. Harter. Jordan Poutre, a senior at Lake Region, said, “What Harter’s done here is amazing.” Mr. Poutre said in closing that “while Mr. Harter may not physically walk the halls of Lake Region, he’ll always be here, because this is the ‘House that Harter built.’”
Theresa Coathup said when she would be greeted by Mr. Harter in the lobby in the morning, she would ask how he was and he’d reply, every time, “irritable as usual.”
Jesse Wilson, Jon Jerry and others went on to describe Mr. Harter as being a great asset to Lake Region, a “big teddy bear” who could easily
A picture of Mr. Harter was set in front of a piano, where Emily Wiggett played earlier in the evening.
be distracted when it came to punishment by talking to him about football, as he was a hardcore Colts, as well as Rangers, fan. He will be greatly missed, loved, and never forgotten by anyone.
Mr. Poutre returned to the podium to say that he, along with his teammates and entire student body, wish to make the corner of the mats “Harter’s Corner” and the gymnasium the Don Harter Gymnasium. Each of the students then placed a blue and white carnation on the small memorial dedicated to Harter’s Corner.
Mr. Messier returned to the stage to tell how Mr. Harter would always say he was going to write a book. Whenever something would happen, he’d say, “Andre, that’s another chapter in my book. I’m going to title it (whatever the event was).” He would also say, “This never happens in Indiana,” and “You can’t make this stuff up!”
Mr. Messier described Mr. Harter as being passionate for the blue and white, whether it was the Colts or the Rangers. Mr. Messier read the following quote that Mr. Harter had said: “I never dread coming to work. I enjoy my work. Not a day goes by that I don’t smile about what a kid says or does.”
Mr. Harter had a wonderful sense of humor. For a pep rally that was held to support the junior class, Mr. Harter had to dress as a Patriots cheerleader if $2,000 was raised. The money was raised, and he came out with the uniform and a blonde wig.
Mr. Messier explained the dress code as a continuing problem at the school. In order to put some rules down, a cutout of Mr. Harter’s hand was used to estimate if a low-cut shirt was, in fact, too low cut. These were handed out to teachers and staff, and if there is a questionable outfit, it was measured to ensure it was no more than a “Harter Hand.”
Leaving the service the flag, at half-staff, was set against a beautiful sky with no wind.
Mr. Messier has been asked how they would fill the void, and his reply is, “We don’t,” meaning they can physically fill the role of principal but cannot replace Mr. Harter. Many of the students and faculty said over and over that nobody will realize the impact Mr. Harter had on this school community. He made a point to have a personal relationship with everyone.
Another quote given by Mr. Messier was one that Mr. Harter had recently said during a conversation. He said, “If I were gone tomorrow I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Mr. Messier shared more tidbits about Mr. Harter that were said by former students in Indiana, and current students at Lake Region would most definitely agree. One of the remarks was that lessons are not always learned in the classroom. One student said, “Thank you for yelling at me, and caring enough to yell.” One thing said by a former student was repeated numerous times on the banners and in speeches: “Words cannot express my gratitude.” Mr. Harter blessed our community with five years of his service, and he will now return to Indiana, but he will never be forgotten.
Stephen Laurie stood to honor Mr. Harter with a serenade accompanied by fellow faculty members Brett Hoffman and Peter Gage, but before doing so, he said a few words. He said nothing really knocks him down, but this kicked him hard. He reminded everyone to live for today because life is short. Mr. Laurie said the outpouring of love from this great shock and deep loss is evident; that sometimes it’s “how big a loss they made” that shows how much of an impact someone had on a community.
Mr. Laurie is involved in theater and said that if there were referees at student productions and Mr. Harter was there he would be calling out that “that was a great show,” or “that was the best damn production.” Mr. Harter enjoyed anything that his students did and always expected them to win; he also expected them to expect to win. The same went for theater or any other clubs.
It was utterly amazing to see the outpouring of community members who gathered for such a tragic loss. Times like this are when you should be thankful for your family and friends. Take the time to call up a loved one, or make plans for a visit. Life is short, and you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Following are some quotes written by students on a banner that was proudly displayed in the gymnasium throughout the memorial.
“I will always be the enforcer. Thanks for great years.” — Jon Jerry
“Mr. Harter, you were a great principal and I will always remember you! R.I.P.” — Holly Loukes
“Mr. Harter, It doesn’t matter who knew you the longest or loved you the most. What matters is how many people you have affected, and there is not one heart at LR that you haven’t touched. I am glad FBLA won most outstanding chapter and that you got to experience that pride with us! I will miss you.” Love, Margaret George
“Mr. Harter, You were one of my main role models, and a great friend. I am going to miss you so!” Love forever, Travis Terrell
“R.I.P. Mr. Harter, May your memory live in our hearts forever.…” — Mikayla McAlister
“Mr. Harter, You will be missed! The good that you’ve done for all of us will remain in our hearts forever!” Love always, Kamala Birch
“I will miss you.” — Kevin Crews
“Mr. Harter, you were a great guy that I will never forget. I say this for everyone at Lake Region, we will miss you so much.” Love, Jamie Allard
“Mr. Harter, I will miss you so much.” — Ethan Butterfield
“I will never forget you, Mr. Harter.” — Adam Souliere
“Mr. Harter, I will still play the piano for you. I will always miss you. You were great.” — Josh Fontaine
“Mr. Harter, I’m sorry that I never got to tell you this in person, but out of everyone at this school, you had the best impact on the entire student body and the staff. I will never forget your inspiring speeches and football references, or the greeting you have me every morning. So many people will miss you for your spirit, your passion that you had for this school and your dedication. We all love you, and there has never been a better principal. R.I.P. Mr. Harter. May 11, 2009: A day in Lake Region history.” Love, Rachel Miltner
“The man, the myth, the legend, the Harter.” — Gus Koennicke
“Mr. Harter, I’m gonna miss having your greeting everyday in the hallways. You were a great man and you were always real. Where you are going the Rangers and Colts will be champs forever. We loved and still do love you. You will be missed very much. I will always remember you Mr. Harter. Thank you, and kick ass in the afterlife.” — Tyler Royer
“R.I.P. Mr. Harter, you’re a great man that will never be forgotten. You will always be in our hearts.” — Matt Morin
“Mr. Harter, I have never met a more passionate and motivated person. Thanks 4 everything buddy.” — Sam Collette
“Goodbye Sir.” — Tyler
“I’ll never forget the jam session you, Meg, Emily, Mikaela and I had. You were a pretty sweet drummer. We will never forget you!” Love, Alishia
School news 
