Every once in a while, a special athlete comes down the pike, one who leaves a lasting impression even if you are exposed to them for only a moment.

Ron Soucie, a well-known Bangor chiropractor who died at the age of 54 Tuesday after a five-year fight with cancer, was one of those rare athletes.

The Brewer native and former three-sport standout at Bangor’s John Bapst High School, best known as one of the most dominant pitchers to ever take the mound, went on to pitch for Holy Cross College before transferring to Husson College.

The stylish lefthander, who once pitched back-to-back no-hitters in high school, was inducted into the Husson College Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.

He set the Husson College records for strikeouts in a season (146 in 1969) and in a game (24).

“He is the best pitcher I have ever played with [or against] and that includes Mike Flanagan and Paul Mitchell,” said Bangor’s Dennis Libbey, referring to the pair of first-round draft picks who had extensive major league careers.

Flanagan spent 18 years in the majors and won the American League Cy Young Award in 1979 while Mitchell pitched in the majors for six seasons.

“Ron had the whole package. His fastball was overpowering and it moved and he had the kind of curve you’d swing and miss and the ball would hit you on the front foot,” said Libbey, the former University of Maine shortstop who played with and against Soucie at various times during summer league baseball.

Libbey and Soucie were teammates for the Bangor Comrades after Libbey had played for Mattawamkeag.

Libbey also said Soucie has to be considered “one of the state’s best three-sport athletes [of all time].”

Soucie set 16 school records while quarterbacking John Bapst to two unbeaten seasons during his tenure.

He scored more than 1,000 points in his illustrious high school basketball career and was a Bangor Daily News All-Maine first team selection in 1966.

He averaged more than two strikeouts per inning during his John Bapst days and had several no-hitters.

“No question. He was a phenomenal athlete. His feats were stuff of legends,” said Husson College football coach Gabby Price, who used to catch Soucie when they played for the Bangor American Legion team and at John Bapst.

Price said catching Soucie was a piece of cake.

“You just put your mitt up and he’d hit it,” said Price, who also called him a “tremendous teammate.”

Libbey added that if a hitter was fortunate enough to reach first against Soucie, his stay could well have been a brief one.

“He had an unbelievable pickoff move,” said Libbey.

Outside of athletics, Libbey considered Soucie a “great guy.”

“He was easy-going, low-key and humble, almost shy,” said Libbey. “He wasn’t a glad-hander. He was reserved. And he was a bright guy.”

Soucie was an avid sports fan and fisherman.

“We’re all deeply saddened. Our sympathy goes out to his family,” said Price.

Soucie is survived by two sons, Ryan and wife Jen of Bucksport and Aaron of Portland, his mother Stella of Brewer, and brothers Ken of Brewer and Dan of Eddington and sisters Rhonda of Boca Grande, Fla., and Cathi of Excelsoir Springs, Mo., and many other relatives.

Friends may call 5-8 p.m. Friday at Kiley Funeral Home, 69 State Street, Brewer. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church, South Main Street, Brewer.