Most Worshipful Richard Michel Nadeau was born in Lewiston, Maine, on November 10, 1961, the first child of Richard Lionel Nadeau and Lucille Rita St. Laurent Nadeau.

Following his 1980 graduation from St. Dominic High School, then in Lewiston, Brother Nadeau joined the United States Army, where he served for 12 years, rising to the rank of Sergeant E-6 before being discharged in 1992. He served our country in Fort Hood, Texas as a demolition expert, Fort Campbell, Kentucky as a drill instructor, and Germany as a tank commander and translator for the Canadian Army.

On September 26, 1981, while in the Army, he married Rachael Joline Boucher, his high school sweetheart. They attend St. St Phillip’s Church in Auburn. They are blessed with two children, Justin and Jenna, and six grandchildren who call him “Pep” – Emma, Amalie, Ava, Julia, Britton, and Everett, with whom he loves to spend time on the Maine coast exploring many of the unique, undiscovered treasures in Maine.

Following seven years as the owner and operator of Nadeau and Son Construction, our Brother enjoyed a successful 22-year career as a Chiropractor. He is a graduate of  Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, the first and globally-largest chiropractic college.  He graduated with the prestigious “Most outstanding graduate” and “Clinical Excellence Awards.) He returned to Palmer College of Chiropractic to complete his pediatric residency program, taught at the college.

MW Bro. Nadeau was raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason in Webster Lodge in Wales on February 28, 2008. He served as Worshipful Master in 2012 and has served as Chaplain in both Webster Lodge and Tranquil Lodge in Auburn with which he affiliated in 2014. He is an active member of the Masonic Temple Associations in Auburn, particularly in Wales, where he has undertaken many building improvement projects.

Brother Nadeau served as the District 23 Educational Officer and the State Mentoring Coordinator from 2014 to 2016 before being appointed as the Grand Marshal. In 2018 he was elected to the office of Deputy Grand Master and worked alongside MW Mark E. Rustin for two years before his installation into the Grand East as Grand Master. He was honored by receiving the 33° in Milwaukee in 2018. He has actively served this Grand Jurisdiction on the Grand Lodge Membership and Masonic Education and Lodge Services Committees from 2014 to 2018. He is currently the president of the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation.  A lover of Masonic ritual, he regularly serves as a guest officer for several Masonic degree and installation teams throughout the 23rd Masonic District and beyond. KORA Kraftsman, Military, and 33° degree teams.

Recognizing the importance of the Masonic family of organizations working together to benefit our fraternity and humanity, Brother Nadeau is a member of the York and Scottish Rites, the Shrine, and the Order of Eastern Star, where his wife, Rachel, has served as Worthy Matron of Lakeside Chapter #60.

In Kora Shriners, Noble Nadeau is a member of the Kora Kraftsmen degree team and the clown unit, where he is better known as “Kracker.” He is also an active member of the Scottish Rite Valley of the Androscoggin, where he serves as Senior Warden in the Lewiston Lodge of Perfection. He is Past Sovereign Prince in the Auburn Council Princes of Jerusalem and currently serves as Most Wise Master of the H.H. Dickey Chapter of Rose Croix. For his efforts, the Maine Council of Deliberation awarded him the Scottish Rite Meritorious Service Award in 2014. He was elevated to the 33° by Supreme Council in 2018. He was awarded the Josiah Hayden Drummond Medal for Distinguished Service in 2018.

Brother Nadeau has rescued six Weimaraner pups and placed countless others in good homes. He enjoys beekeeping, raising turkeys, and woodworking. He has crafted many a gavel for presentation to new Worshipful Masters upon their installation and pens inlaid with Masonic symbols or pink ribbons, signifying that the special recipient is a breast cancer survivor.