Kevin M. Champagne

Kevin Martin Champagne, 61, of New Ipswich passed away suddenly on Sunday, December 12th, 2021. He died peacefully, with his wife of 35 years, Tracy, and his beloved dog, Henry by his side.

Kevin was the youngest child of Joseph R. “Pop” Champagne and Rita V. (Enright). He was raised, along with his brothers, John and Tim, and sister, Diane in Greenville, NH. From a young age, Kevin always had a great zest for life. He was fearless and fun loving. Kevin idolized his older siblings and spent much of his youth trying to keep up with them, whether he was racing down Main Street on his bicycle, or trying to outrun the chief of Police in his Oldsmobile Cutlass, or later in life spending the day taking long rides on his Harley with his good friends.

Kevin had a passion for rock and roll music. He was convinced that he was the first person to master the “air guitar”. Kevin enjoyed sharing his love of music with friends and was an avid concert-goer. Whenever there was dancing, Kevin was always the first on the dance floor. Everyone who knew him knew that he really could “move like Jagger”.

Kevin put his heart and soul into everything he did. In 1986 he married Tracy. They moved to New Ipswich and raised their two sons, Chad and Chris. Kevin was immensely proud of his sons. His most frequent advice to them was “have fun…but don’t do what I did”, and “you better check with Mom before you do that”.

Kevin was so proud of the home he and Tracy made together and he loved sharing it with family and friends. Whether it was a holiday dinner, a football game or a barbeque - he was the perfect host and always made sure every guest had a cold beverage and a full belly. Kevin loved camping with friends so much that he decided to create a campground in his yard, and The Happy Ending campground came to life. Kevin always loved a good party. And every party was made better when Kevin arrived.

In 1994 Kevin started a job at Warwick Mills. Over the next 27 years, Kevin developed lifelong friendships with his co-workers and would often refer to them as his “mill family”. His constant smile and infectious laugh would always make anyone feel better even on the busiest of days.

Kevin’s love for life was always on full display through his passion for Boston sports. It was impossible to watch a game with Kevin without getting caught up in his enthusiasm. He would yell and cheer after every play, and his touchdown celebrations were more fun to watch than the actual game. If you couldn’t be in the room with him for a game, he would make sure to call or text you to share his excitement. How many of us still have his famous “Woo Hoo” texts on our phones.

Kevin was a devoted husband and father, and a loyal and trusted friend to so many. If you were Kevin’s friend, you were a friend for life. He lived life to the fullest every day and found joy in everything he did. Kevin truly was one of a kind. As his brother described him, “Kevin packed 100 years of living into 61 years”. Kevin is and will always be dearly missed by his family, his friends, and all who knew him.

Kevin is survived by his wife, Tracy (Allen) Champagne of New Ipswich, NH, his sons Chad Champagne and Christopher Champagne of Jaffrey, NH, his brother John Champagne and his wife Linda of Jamestown, NC, his brother Tim Champagne and his wife Terry of San Antonio, TX, his sister Diane Champagne and her partner Maribeth Buchanan of Peterborough, NH, his extended family Kathleen Allen, Robyn Allen, Heidi Allen, Linda Vanderloo, and Anne Griffin, as well as several nieces and nephews, and of course his beloved dog Henry.

Kevin’s family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Officer W. Vollheim of the NIPD, and the entire SVAS ambulance crew for their heroic efforts, as well as their kindness and compassion.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Feb 5th 2022 at 1pm at Woodbound Inn in Rindge, NH in the Woodbound Ballroom.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society of Greater Nashua, 24 Ferry Rd, Nashua, NH 03064 at hsfn.org/tributegifts/