Tag Archives: Paul Bettencourt
The Ocean State Says Goodbye to Its Beloved ‘Herring Man’
Paul Bettencourt was called a lot of things, most notably “The Herring Man” and “The Baitman.” The latter appears one word into his obituary. His youngest daughter, Paula Bettencourt, called her dad something else — “a special person.” “I remember being 10 or 11 and going to the dam and this whole community of people would be there moving herring over the dam,” the 35-year-old Stoughton, Mass., resident recalled. “Once he knew the fish were running he would gather his community. It took a lot of work and a lot of time. You had to pass the net up over the dam.” Paul and his brother, Joe, started their herring rescue adventures sometime in the late 1960s or early ’70s depending on whose memory you trust. >click to read< 09:10
US Marine Corp Vet, Commercial Fisherman, Paul Bettencourt, Dies at 80
Paul “The Baitman” Bettencourt, 80, of Pawtucket, passed away peacefully at home with family by his side on Saturday, April 10, 2021. He was the beloved husband of Barbara R. (Stuart) Bettencourt for forty-three years. Born in Providence, Paul was one of twenty-one children of the late John and Emelia (Pacheco) Bettencourt. He resided the majority of his adult life in Pawtucket. Paul was a United States Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam Era and went on to a lifelong career in the commercial fishing industry, where he gained the nickname and call sign, “The Baitman”. Paul was totally devoted to God, his family, and his community. >click to read< 12:10
