Master Chief Gardie LaMarche, USN (ret)
Wisconsinite by Birth, Sailor by Choice!
Born and raised in Hurley, at the top of Wisconsin. He entered the Navy in 1972 and served as a Radioman in the telecommunications and information technology field until his retirement in 1993. Master Chief LaMarche had sea duty assignments onboard the USS St. Louis (LKA-116), USS Dixie (AD-14), USS Okinawa (LPH-3, and the USS Carr (FFG-52), completing 5 deployments to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, and the Mediterranean. Shore duty assignments included tours in San Diego, CA, Midway Island, and Bermuda. He holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maryland in Management Studies and in Broad Field Social Studies with a History Major and teaching certification from the University of Wisconsin at Superior.
His career after the Navy included working for 3 years as the Director of Northwest Passage III, serving court ordered youth. He then put his teaching certification to use as a Naval Science Instructor in the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps for 23 years, at three high schools, retiring in 2020.
In retirement he does research into his hometown’s colorful and rich history, writing articles for the Iron County Miner and publishing his first book, “More Than a Game”. He enjoys gardening and reading. He spends his time spoiling his awesome wife Terri, their children and grandchildren.