Charles W. Heard

Charles W. Heard died October 17, 2008. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is survived by his spouse Corina H. Heard, his children Sarah Heard and Drayton Heard, his grandchildren Ethan Heard and Nina Heard, and his sister Margaret H. Perkins.

Mr. Heard graduated from Deerfield Academy, Yale University, and the University of Michigan Law School. He practiced law as a trusts and estates attorney for 50 years, beginning in Massachusetts with Warner & Stackpole. In 1973, Mr. Heard moved to New Hampshire and shortly thereafter opened a state-wide practice. He joined Cleveland, Waters and Bass, P.A. in 1985, where he practiced until his retirement this past summer.

Clients, colleagues, and peers alike recognized his dedication to practicing law at the highest level, while maintaining his gentle good humor and compassion. This recognition is reflected in the many distinctions he earned throughout his career, including his status as a Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and his inclusion in Who’s Who in America.

Emile R. Bussiere

Emile R. Bussiere, 76, a Manchester attorney and one-time Democratic nominee for governor, died October 26 at Elliot Hospital.

Born and raised in Manchester, Bussiere was a 1949 graduate of St. Joseph High School and a graduate of St. Anselm College and Boston College Law School. After spending two years in the US Army, he returned to New Hampshire where he served three years as a US commissioner and five years as Hillsborough County attorney.

Bussiere spent the past 40 years at his law firm, Bussiere & Bussiere, where he specialized in personal-injury law.

"He was the poor man’s lawyer," said former law partner, Judge Kenneth McHugh. "Ninety percent of his clients were working people who needed someone to take their causes."

Note: Brief excerpts from Attorney Bussiere’s oral history interview, conducted by Judge Kenneth McHugh on behalf of the NH Bar Foundation, are posted on YouTube. The e-Bulletin and website will have links.