FITCHBURG, Mass. – William E. Aubuchon Jr., 91, of Fitchburg, who for decades ran the Aubuchon Hardware chain of stores in the Northeast, died Nov. 26 at home surrounded by his family after an illness.

Aubuchon was born Aug. 13, 1916, in Fitchburg, the eldest son of William E. and Corinne (Charron) Aubuchon.

In 1938 Aubuchon joined W.E. Aubuchon Co. Inc., the largest privately owned chain of hardware stores in the country, started by his father in 1908. He served as president from 1950 to 1993. At the time of his death, he was an honorary director of the company.

During Aubuchon’s leadership as president, the company enjoyed 43 years of continuous profitability, expansion from 33 to 136 stores, entry into the Maine, New York and Connecticut markets, and development of its current 400,000-square-foot distribution center in Westminster, Mass.

Aubuchon said he always regarded everyone who worked in the company as family and was ahead of his time in the retail industry by providing a wide variety of employee benefits, according to members of his family and employees. He was proud of having provided employment to thousands of New Englanders. He was also the president of Aubuchon Realty Co. Inc. from 1950 to 1993.

For many years, Aubuchon served on the board of Shawmut Bank and its predecessor institutions, Worcester Bank Corp. and Worcester County National Bank. He was a director of the First Safety Fund Bank; president and chairman of the board of the I-C Credit Union; director of Sheppard Envelope; and president of the National Supply Association of the U.S.

In addition to his professional career, Aubuchon gave his time to civic and religious causes. He served 12 years on the Assumption College board of trustees and was its first lay chairman. He was named in 1965 by Gov. John Volpe to the first board of trustees of the Massachusetts State College System, where he was instrumental in the then-innovative use of bond financing which was the foundation of the system’s expansion. During his eight-year tenure, ending with his chairmanship of the board, the 11-college budget quadrupled to $61 million.

In recognition of his service he was awarded honorary degrees from Fitchburg State and Worcester State colleges, and at Fitchburg State a dormitory building was named in his honor.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Camille (Corriveau) Aubuchon; his two sons, William E. III and his wife, Karson, of Princeton, Mass., and Donat C. and his wife, Eileen, of Shrewsbury, Mass; and three daughters, Mariette A., wife of Dr. James M. Young of Lee, N.H., Laure C. of New York City and Anne Celeste, wife of Michael J. O’Rourke of Stamford, Conn.; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sister Claire P. Moran and brother Peter J. Aubuchon, both of Fitchburg. He is predeceased by a sister, Denise B. Ouellette, and two brothers, Maurice A. and Bernard W. Aubuchon.