NORTH SCITUATE, R.I. — Armand M. LaMontagne, 87, a North Scituate resident since 1965, passed away suddenly at home Friday, March 7, 2025.
He was the beloved husband of Lorraine A. (Robitaille) LaMontagne. Born in Pawtucket, R.I., he was a son of the late Raymond and Jeanne (Ferland) LaMontagne. LaMontagne graduated from Worcester Academy and lettered in baseball, basketball and football. He attained a scholarship to play football at Boston College. A true outdoorsman, he loved gardening, training bonsai trees and shaping the bushes and trees in his yard.
He was a charter member of the Pawtucket Hall of Fame and was inducted in 1998 into the R.I. Heritage Hall of Fame. In May 1998, he was honored by Rhode Island College with an Honorary Degree of Doctorate of Fine Arts. In April 2000 he received the Distinguished American Award by the R.I. Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fall.
He was a gifted and self-taught artist and sculptor, best recognized for his life-sized wood and bronze sculptures. He studied in Italy for one year as a result of the Russell Grinnell Foundation Award. Some of his significant sculptures of important personalities such as Babe Ruth and Ted Williams are on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Sculptures of Harry Agganis, Larry Bird, Bobby Orr, Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams are on display at the New England Sports Museum in Boston. A sculpture of General George S. Patton, Jr, is on display at the Patton Museum at Fort Knox, Ky. He had the honor of sculpting President Gerald Ford, which is on display at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Mich., and the Gerald Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, Mich. A sculpture of Eleanor Roosevelt is on display in Hyde Park, N.Y., and Ted Williams at the Ted Williams Museum in Fort Myers, Fla. He has a sculpture of Roger Williams at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., and Larry Bird at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. There is a sculpture of Gladys Tantaquidgeon, a Mohegan medicine woman, at Mohegan Nation in Uncasville, Conn. He also has a bronze bust of Elvis Presley on display in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn. His biggest sculptures were his several post and beam houses in R.I., and Connecticut. In addition to his numerous sculptures, he has painted portraits of former Governor J. Joseph Garrahy, former Mayor Joseph Paolino, former Speaker of the House Matthew J. Smith, former R.I. Supreme Court Justice Thomas F. Fay and former President of Rhode Island College Dr John Nezarian.
In addition to his beloved wife, Lorraine, he is survived his daughter, Lisa A. LaMontagne. He was the brother of Lucille Coutu, Anne Gabriault, Henry LaMontagne and the late Roger LaMontagne, Raymond LaMontagne, Ernest LaMontagne and Lucien LaMontagne.
His family has requested a private funeral and burial. Contributions in his name may be made to the American Heart Association, RI Chapter, 1 State Street, Unit 200, Providence, RI 02908; or the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS, 66675, will be appreciated.
