Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80Winter 2017 | 67 Richard “Dick” L. Bigwood, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at his home in Chester. He leaves his wife of 61 years, Dolly; his son, Steven and his wife Birgit of Mendon; son Bill and his wife Mary of Chester; son Guy of Rindge, N.H. and his daughter Alison of Westminster. Dick Jewett, Windsor county director, recruited Dick Bigwood to help with grooming, signage and trail maintenance over 25 years ago. The two men became the best of friends, spending numerous hours together, doing this work on behalf of the Chester Snowmobile Club. Dick had a way with our landowners and he made it personal. Not only did he visit them every year to sign the VAST landowner form, but he visited many of them throughout the year on a regular basis. He sent Christmas cards and phoned all our landowners every Christmas Day until he became too sick to do it last year. In 2006, Dick received the VAST Groomer of the Year Award. He received a Groomer of the Year embroidered coat along with that award and wore it proudly all the time. This past year, Dick received the Trailblazer Award and The Founders Award. Both were presented to him at a Chester Club meeting with family and VAST members in attendance. You may recognize him from being on the cover of a Snowmobile Vermont magazine last year for the “Who’s in the Groomer” winter issue. Dick was a quiet man who was a very good listener. He spoke softly, was kind and always greeted folks with a firm handshake or a strong hug. He really enjoyed grooming the trails and it was his time to be alone. He also enjoyed the many hours he groomed with his best friend, Dick Jewett. Dick Bigwood personally took care of the groomer and the barn it is stored in. He was very passionate about everything being in order. The club will be naming the barn in his honor. His son, Steven, is making the sign we will have displayed on the barn at a dedication ceremony. The Chester Snowmobile Club will also have a large stone with his name engraved strategically placed on the trail for all riders to view. A Celebration of Life for Dick was held on Friday, Dec. 2 at the Chester American Legion. In addition to his family and close friends attending, several snowmobile clubs in the area came to pay their respects: Chester Snowmobile Club, Cavendish Green Mountain Snow Fleas, Weathersfield Pathfinders, Ludlow Side Hill Cronchers, Andover Mountaineers, and the County Club. Members from the VAST office and several directors were also in attendance. Dick will truly be missed by all of us at the Chester Snowmobile Club and by the entire snowmobile community. Our club meetings and events will always be a reminder that someone very special is no longer with us. We miss him beyond what I can put into words. We know he will be watching over us, and if he has any say in the weather forecast, he will definitely order snow for all riders to enjoy! Remembering DICK BIGWOOD By Patty Companik In Memory