Paul Champagne, a longtime manager of the Harvard Cooperative Society (the "Coop") in Cambridge, Mass., died June 23. He was 79.
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Champagne spent more than 50 years working at the Coop, beginning as a 16-year-old salesperson and eventually rising to the position of operations manager for all six bookstores, including the main Harvard Square location.
Born in Dorchester, Mass., Champagne was raised in Brighton. He graduated from St. Patrick's High School in 1964, and continued his education at Massachusetts Bay Community College and Framingham State.
While working at the Coop, he met his future wife, Betsy, and formed a group of many lifelong friends. Upon retirement in 2014, the couple moved to Plymouth to live year-round at Priscilla Beach.
"Family and friends remember him as Paul was meticulous in his detailed record keeping, making Excel spreadsheets for everything. He was also known for always having a list of projects, his love of local sports, woodworking and reading," Champagne's obituary noted.