DEERFIELD — Fortunately, David Chichester was in the emergency room of Baystate Franklin Medical Center when he got the shocking news that he’d been selected as the 36th Recorder Citizen of the Year.
Chichester, who volunteers there a couple of times a week, bringing patients and those accompanying them a warm blanket, pillow or a cup of coffee, was recognized for his sweeping range of volunteer activities over decades Tuesday morning at a Franklin County Chamber of Commerce breakfast at Deerfield Academy.
But it was in Conway, where the 81-year-old honoree lived from 1981 until moving to Greenfield last year, that Tuesday was officially designated “David I. Chichester Day.”
Volunteering, which Chichester has done on Conway’s Board of Health and Planning Board as well as its emergency management director, along with his years serving the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition, the Franklin County Restorative Justice program, Pioneer Valley Symphony, Arena Civic Theater, Community Action and Baystate Franklin, “can be an opportunity to transform one’s life and build new skills and create new relationships,” he told the roughly 250 people at Tuesday’s breakfast meeting.
“And then one thing leads to another, which kind of gets out of control sometimes,” Chester added. “I don’t collect thimbles or coins or beer cans, but I did need something to do with my time. It put me in touch with reality a little bit more. I’ve enjoyed volunteering. It provided me with some direction and some empathy for other people, and when you think of people helping people, there is power in that. (It’s) a non-pharmaceutical aid in improving one’s well-being. I would heartily recommend it. It’s a lot better than other remedies I can think of.”
Conway Selectman John O’Rourke, citing the “constant” involvement of Chichester and his wife, Elaine, in numerous civic activities in town that benefited their fellow residents, proclaimed Tuesday “David I. Chichester Day” in Conway.
Chichester, who was also presented a certificate of special Congressional recognition as well as citations from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, from Conway and Greenfield, and a pewter platter from The Recorder, received a cash award, which he divided between The Recorder’s Warm the Children Fund and Hospice of Franklin County.
“Dave has long been a huge gift to our community and is the last person to think he deserves recognition,” said Mary McClintock of Conway, who had nominated Chichester for the award. “I am thrilled to see Dave’s hard, smart, caring work recognized, and I hope many members of our community will be inspired by who Dave is and what he has done for all of us.”
Outgoing state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, who himself was presented by fellow legislators Paul Mark and Susannah Whipps with a framed map of the 28 towns he’s represented over his 25 years, called Chichester’s contributions to the larger community “immense. They span the breadth of arts and culture and human services and public services and municipalities that I can’t think of anyone else who’s ever made those kinds of diverse contributions to Franklin County.”
The award, presented by The Recorder every year since 1983 to recognize what Recorder Editor George Forcier called “the depth of community spirit” exhibited by Franklin County residents through their volunteering on behalf of their neighbors, is based on nominations reviewed by a citizens’ panel.
Recipients in the past have included Joan Vander Vliet, Al Dray, Elizabeth Hollingsworth and Philip Gilmore of Deerfield; Pearl Care of Erving; Theodore Martineau of Montague City; Rolland Gifford, Marion Taylor and Marvin Shippee of Shelburne Falls; Ann Hamilton, Amy Clarke, Marjorie Reid, Edward Tombs, Irmarie Jones, Jean Cummings, David McCarthy, Charles Carter and Arline Cohn of Greenfield, Marie Putala, the Rev. Stanley Aksamit, John Carey, Shirley Lovett and Richard Kimball of Turners Falls, Albert Diemand and Theodore Lewis of Wendell, Frank R. “Bud” Foster and William Shores of Bernardston and Marian Holbrook and Raymond Zukowski of Northfield, Allan Adie of Gill, Clifford Fournier, Marty Picard and Geneva Lawson of Orange and Adelia Bardwell of Whately.