NEW PORTLAND – Louise Brochu, 50, of New Portland, died unexpectedly Thursday, June 7.

She was born, Aug. 25, 1956, in St. George, Quebec, Canada, a daughter of Emile Charles and Jeannette (Buteau) Brochu. She graduated from Forest Hills High School in Jackman and went on to study at Maine Medical Center in radiology.

In 1982, she left from Jackman for the West Coast on a 10-speed bike with a friend. They made it all the way to Lake Louise, Alberta, and continued on to Alaska, where she settled and worked in Dillingham for eight years as an X-ray technician and phlebotomist.

Her daughter Emily was born in Dillingham on Sept. 29, 1987. She returned to Jackman to care for her parents. She then worked with her brother, Adrien at A&A Brochu as a safety coordinator and later partnered with another brother, Jim Brochu at JL Brochu, having also served on the Board of Certified Logging Professionals.

Most recently, she owned and operated New Portland Wood Flooring with her partner and very good friend, Claude Boulet.

She was a tremendously hard worker her entire life. She loved searching out antiques and took great pride with their restoration and would often generously give them to family and friends asking nothing in return. She lived, loved and cared deeply for everything she ever did.

She is survived by her greatest pleasure, her daughter, Emily Brochu of Stratton and Goffstown, N.H., where she attends college; four brothers, Adrien Brochu, and his wife, Celine, of Skowhegan, Guy Brochu, and his companion, Ellen Hallett, of Canaan, Luke Brochu, and his wife, Pam, of Glenburn and Jim Brochu, and his wife, Mary, of Freeman; two sisters, Lise Quenneville, and her husband, Paul, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and Lucy Comber, and her husband, Randy, of Greenville; several nieces and nephews, including Lori LeMont, and her husband, Tom, of Stratton, daughter of André Brochu, a brother who predeceased Louise.

She was also predeceased by her parents, Emile and Jeannette Brochu.