Biography

"I have been actively involved within the city, for over 30 years, which includes working with school, zoning and planning boards. I have also been a business owner in downtown Lewiston, which has given me a unique perspective of the city." - Rick LaChapelle

Whether through his successful business ventures or by serving his fellow citizens in various official capacities, lifelong Lewiston resident Rick LaChapelle has always worked to improve and protect the city he calls home. Now serving as the elected Ward 4 Representative on the Lewiston City Council, Rick is eager to represent all of Lewiston by running for the State Senate, District 21. He has been married to his wife, Monique, for 40 years and helped raise their two, now grown, boys, in this great city.
Rick is very proud of his Franco-American heritage and enjoys telling the story of his grandmother’s journey to Lewiston many years ago. Rick’s mémère and her family migrated from Canada, arriving at the train station on Lincoln Street. It was their first steps into their new life in Lewiston. In her later years, Rick’s grandmother portrayed an immigrant in a story very similar to her own. She starred in the lead role of “Lewiston: A New Home”, the award-winning play put on by the Lewiston Bicentennial Committee.
By the time Rick graduated from Lewiston High School in 1982, he already had a lengthy work history. His parents, Paul and Yvette LaChapelle, taught him a strong work ethic from a very young age. He started working at 12 years old shoveling chicken coups and mowing lawns. By fifteen, he began employment at Cottle's supermarket and was promoted frequently, resulting in full-time status as a 17 year old senior in highschool. As a young, married father, Rick tried his hand as a bank teller, but gave that up to follow his entrepreneurial spirit and open his first business, as a food distributor. Within a year, a family friend offered him a job in the pawn business and there was no looking back. Rick and his wife have now owned the pawn business for over 20 years, and their success has allowed them to expand to include 6 pawn shops as well as several other businesses throughout Central Maine.
Rick’s family has a long history of service to the people of Lewiston, and it is his sincere honor to carry on that tradition. He has served as a member of the Citizen Advocate Committee, as president of the PTO for McMahon School, and was Chair of the Lewiston Bicentennial Committee. Rick also dedicated much of his time to coaching youth sports including baseball, soccer, and basketball. Many of those, who were coached by Rick as children continue to call him “Coach Rick” to this day. Rick’s political roles have included serving on the Zoning Board, the Lewiston School Committee, the Aub/Lew Airport Board of Directors, the Lewiston Ad Hoc Housing Committee, as Vice-Chair of the Aub/Lew Water Protection Commission, and on the Lewiston City Council.
Rick is a man of strong faith. While raised in the Catholic Church by his parents, he and his wife have continued their path as devout Christians as active members of Pathway Vineyard Church since the late 90’s. In his spare time, Rick enjoys basketball, softball, and golfing with his boys, and now also his grandsons. Family is the most important priority for Rick and he always looks forward to the weekends, when his children visit with the grandkids, Caleb and Logan, who fill the house with joyous laughter.
For Rick, enjoying life to the fullest means serving others, and he is always eager to share the knowledge and success he had been blessed with in whatever way he can.