BETHEL — Wayne David DuPlessis, of Bethel, died Wednesday, Oct. 21.

He was born in Van Buren, on Jan. 10, 1952, the son of Ludger and Theresa DuPlessis. After graduating from high school there, he attended the University of Maine at Farmington. He then graduated from Glassboro State College, now known as Rowan University, in New Jersey.

He spent many years living in Boston and received his master’s at Boston State College. In 1995 he received a degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of New England, where he served for a time as an adjunct professor.

Later in 1995, he opened his own counseling practice in Kennebunk and married Susan Gilman. They moved to Bethel in 2000. Though they separated in 2006, they maintained a deep love and respect for one another and were best friends.

Wayne was intelligent, curious, passionate and complex. He was witty, and he loved to sing. Through his 14 years of practice, he helped many people better their lives and relationships with others. He played an integral role in the Julie Gordon Sullivan Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping parents communicate with their adolescent children. He traveled the state and New England training facilitators with his dear friend and founder Jane Card. His favorite part of his practice was working with adolescent children and he was dearly loved by nieces and nephews from both his and Susan’s families. Family visits often centered around him spending time speaking with the kids throughout their childhoods.

While in Bethel, he also became involved in the Western Maine Senior College as a committee member and presenter of the To Your Health program, a testament to his compassion toward a wide diversity of people.

He was a voracious reader, loved animals, and enjoyed photography, golf, working out. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his beloved pets, tinkering at home and finding innovative solutions to fixing things. He and Susan spent many hours working together on landscaping their homes in Kennebunk and Bethel.

Wayne’s upbringing in Aroostook County and large family of eight brothers and six sisters remained a constant in his life. He loved to tell stories of his unusual childhood and its many adventures, some difficult, but always with a sense of humor. As the fifth child, he served as a paternal figure to his youngest siblings, and ultimately became close to many of their children.

He was predeceased by his father.

He is survived by Susan DuPlessis; his mother, Theresa, of Van Buren; his brothers, Rick of Waynesville, Mo., Stefan of Dexter, Ludger of Waterville, Dale of Somerville, Mass., Danny of Bangor, Kevin of Brewer, Glen of Watertown, Conn., and James of Scarborough; his sisters, Carol of Greensboro, N.C., Margery of South Portland, Stella of Saco, Cindy of Van Buren, and Colleen and Tina of Caribou; and many, many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.

He will be sadly missed by all those who fully understood his complexities, his sensitivity and the honest way in which he chose to live his life.