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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE remembers John Bove, former St. Francis College dean

A photo of John Bove from the 1969 St Francis College yearbook
A photo of John Bove from the 1969 St Francis College yearbook

John Bove, a beloved member of the St. Francis College and University of New England communities, died April 4, 2017, after a long struggle with chronic pain.

An avid sports fan, Bove was drafted as a pitcher by the St. Louis Cardinals before choosing instead to enter college to become an academic who served the public as a high school teacher, principal, guidance counselor and history professor, before finally moving to Maine to become the dean of admissions at St. Francis College.

Some may also remember him as news and sports radio announcer for WGME (now WGAN) and WCSH. In the 1960s, he was also a well-known on-air television personality in Burlington, Vermont.

According to Bove’s son Geoff Bove, D.C., Ph.D., professor in the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine, his father was one of the initial fundraisers for the Ketchum Library. Geoff says his father was a trusted counselor for students and a dedicated academic, often sleeping in his office in Stella Maris a few nights a week.

Read the obituary in the Portland Press Herald.

Watch a video produced by the UNE Office of Research about John’s struggle with chronic pain.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.