The Adelard T. ‘Ed’ Trudel Scholarship Funding Future Education
Anyone who worked for the City of Lowell between 1981 and 2000 most likely met Ed Trudel, who served as the city’s Special Events Coordinator at that time. His love for ‘all things Lowell’ was purposeful and contagious.
A man of high integrity and community vision, Ed (Lowell High School Class of 1941) was very much a champion of the city and Lowell High School (LHS). A 20-year city employee, Ed extended his ‘retirement’ in Lowell with a part-time job for five more years. The term ‘part-time’ was not in Ed’s vocabulary. He continued to start his day at 6 a.m. and worked almost full-time hours. He did everything 300 percent.
It was not unusual for him to come home from work at 5 o’clock, cut his manicured lawn, fix the sprinkler system, cook a full supper and be ready for the next day with anticipation and enthusiasm,” noted Germaine Vigeant-Trudel, Ed’s loving companion and wife of 25 years.
In his role as Lowell’s Special Event Coordinator, Ed was in the pivotal position to spearhead logistics for the inaugural Lowell Folk Festival in 1990. No matter where he and Germaine traveled from Seabrook Beach to Quebec, to Europe, once the conversation turned to “where are you from?” Ed would be promoting Lowell: Its high school and notable distinguished alumni, artistic, cultural and community venues like his beloved Folk Festival or the all-volunteer Family Fun Day, a community wide July 4th carnival on Pawtucket Boulevard. Come Christmas, Ed was not to be undone by St. Nicholas. He loved playing Santa, visiting a scheduled list of relatives and friends while Germaine sat in the car not to give ‘Santa’ away.
Colleague and close friend Steven Joncas, GLCF President Emeritus and scholarship donor, said Ed always demonstrated a level of kindness, caring and friendship. “He was an extraordinary human being. He would be thrilled to know Germaine has established this scholarship because he cared so much about education. Scholarships in whatever amount demonstrate that a kid has value, it’s a recognition of their worth.”
When asked what advice Ed would pass on to the recipient of the Adelard T. ‘Ed’ Trudel Scholarship Fund established in November, Germaine’s quick response was, “This scholarship is a ‘feel-good’ deed and if it helps a student supplement his or her financial need, all the better.” Ed would say, “Do your best, work hard and you will succeed.”
The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) provides opportunities for donors to create a fund and establish a lasting charitable educational legacy. To learn more about Lowell High School Scholarships, contact Jay Linnehan or Barbara Dunsford at 978-970-1600 or info@glcfoundation.org
About Greater Lowell Community Foundation – Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 450 funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. With financial assets of over $65 million, GLCF annually awards grants and scholarships to hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students. It is powered by the winning combination of donor-directed giving, personal attention from Foundation staff, and an in-depth understanding of local needs. The generosity of our donors has enabled the Community Foundation to award more than $40 million to the Greater Lowell community.
###
Caption: Adelard T. ‘Ed’ Trudel, left, with his wife, Germaine Vigeant-Trudel.
