by Laura Tucker, Editor | Jul 4, 2025 | In Memoriam
Fred joined the National Ski Patrol in 1984. From that date forward, he actively participated on all levels to better his patrol, his region, and his division. He acquired his Senior Patroller status in 1989 and immediately became a Senior OEC Trainer/Evaluator. He continued to maintain this status until he retired from patrolling, though his responsibilities grew over the years.
He was the editor of Toboggan Run, the Western Mass Region newsletter (1990-94), OEC Coordinator (1992-2000), 990 IRS 990 Return Coordinator (1997-99), Region Coordinator for Senior OEC Trainer/Evaluator Recertification (1998), and Assistant Region Director (1993-2000).
Fred held numerous positions of leadership and responsibility. He was the “go-to” guy who could always be depended upon for positive results. For six years, Fred was the Western Massachusetts Region Director. He took the position over in 2000 when the region was fragmented. His organizational and “people” skills brought the region and its patrols together and its programs thrived.
As Region Director, he served on the Eastern Division Board of Directors. He chaired the Finance Committee, which include the Investment Committee. Under his leadership, the following were accomplished:
• simplified ED investments,
• reduced investment costs,
• improved return on investments,
• dedicated percentage of investment income to support of programs,
• codified an Eastern Division investment policy/guideline, and
• selected and hired a single financial advisor/broker to implement investment policy/guidelines.
In 1992, Fred received the Western Mass Region Director’s Award. He was honored to be awarded National Appointment #9264 in 2000 and the NSP Distinguished Service Award in 2007.
Fred worked in the coatings industry his whole career, selling everything from kitchen cabinet finishes to military spec coatings for submarines. He finished out his career working for Sherwin Williams power coating division for over 25 years and retired in 2008.
Besides skiing, Fred loved camping, travel, music, and boating; anything from sailing a canoe to five years enjoying his pwer catamaran “Cat’s Paw.”
Fred is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sue; daughter, Kristen Tucker; son, Matthew; grandchildren Emma, Jakob, Alyssa, Holden, and Tanner; great-grandchild, Asher; and his sister, Barbara Wilson.
Condolences may be sent to 3351 Campbell Road, Mountain City, TN 37683.
by Laura Tucker, Editor | Nov 18, 2024 | In Memoriam
Peter Landon Hawley of New Hartford, CT died on “Kilobyte Day,” October 24, 2024. Even though he loved and understood how digital machines work, Peter would have cared little that his earthly life ended on 1024. He was practical and not sentimental. Peter cared deeply about others and lived for three things: To race, to ski, and most of all, to be helpful to others.
The meetings of the Hartford Track Club, of which he was president for over 20 years, and of the Hartford Marathon Foundation will be a little shorter, without Peter to remember the nuances of the myriad details of conducting a road race.
Peter served on the ski patrol of Ski Butternut for 44 years after college and three years in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Since 1990, Peter had been a first aid and outdoor emergency care instructor. In 2014, he received the Eastern Division Patroller Achievement Award. His Patrol Director Stew Bartner said Peter was the first to report to work every day that he was on duty with the patrol.
Peter began running at age 35, briefly following in the footsteps of his brother Tim and then soundly beating him for 37 years. Many are the runners who were outkicked to the sound of Peter’s size 12 Brooks Beasts coming out of nowhere.
Peter completed 49 marathons including several in Boston and every Hartford Marathon from the inaugural race in 1996 through 2022. He always helped set up the course, too. He “did” the Mt. Washington Road Race three times and ran probably more than a thousand other races.
We are thankful that he was not hit by a car while training for a marathon before dawn or when crossing the Founder’s Bridge on his bicycle to certify the Hartford Marathon course. And that he fully recovered from the mild stroke he had a few years ago. We are thankful for the many years he was a friend, co-worker, mentor, and brother.
Peter graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional H.S. in 1967. He became an FCC-licensed radio technician, then served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps (graduating first in his class at signal school), and graduated from Wabash College in Indiana. Together with his father and brother, Peter built a house where he lived for 35 years.
At Al’s Seafood, he applied his listening and computer skills to improve processes. As an astute IBM AS400 tech with business knowledge, Peter found a role at Hartford Technologies and worked there until he retired in 2019. Peter volunteered to help the Connecticut Forest and Park Association maintain CT Blue Trails.
Peter was the eldest son of Kathleen Lamphier Hawley and Samuel Seymour Hawley. He was predeceased by his parents, brother John, and sister Karen. He is survived by his brother Tim, nephews Sam and John, niece Kirsten, and many friends in the Butternut Ski Patrol, Hartford Track Club, and Hartford Marathon Foundation.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, November 16 at Rocky Hill Congregational Church followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Great Mountain Forest Foundation in Norfolk, CT, or volunteering to help the Hartford Track Club conduct a race would be welcomed.
Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on Thurston Rowe Funeral Home’s memorial page and share them with the family.
by Laura Tucker, Editor | Nov 15, 2023 | Division News, Spotlight Articles
The history of the Eastern Division newsletter, Trail Sweep, stretches back a long time. I have copies going back to Volume 29, No. 4, Spring/Summer of 1986. Looking through the issues, I am amazed at how far we’ve come and all the changes that have been made. We used to publish four issues a year, then three, and finally, we were down to two, although as we reduced the number of issues, they gained in size. We removed some information, like the division and region rosters and event calendar, and the list of awards and obituaries increased. We are an aging organization.
But even though we’re aging, our members are savvy and connected. An electronic survey sent to Eastern Division patrollers in late February asked their opinions about Trail Sweep and how information is being conveyed to patrollers. More than half of those sent the survey opened it, and more than 650 people responded. Nearly 200 comments were received with some interesting results–both good and bad.
While respondents said they got their information about division events almost equally from both Trail Sweep and division emails, most people preferred to get their information electronically. Increasingly, people want their news to come in a timelier manner, in short bursts, and to be readable on their portable devices. Most of the respondents (75%) read Trail Sweep every time or most of the time, and a strong majority (5 to 1) preferred to receive news monthly rather than twice a year.
Trail Sweep has been printed and mailed to the patrollers of the Eastern Division for decades, long before the age of sophisticated personal computers, the internet, and cell phones. As production and postage rates increased, we began to email a PDF file of Trail Sweep to our members. My records show we were still printing copies in 2007. I’m not sure exactly when we converted to electronic delivery.
Now, we’re responding to what our members told us in the survey. Starting with this issue, we will be publishing monthly and formatted differently. Short excerpts of articles will have clickable links to take you to the complete article. We will cover programs, events, people, and other interesting and informative subjects spread out during the year. Trail Sweep does not have an editorial staff. We depend on program advisors and administrators, as well as patrollers, for the articles we receive and publish. This is more important than ever. We want everything to be timely. If there’s something you’d like to see, let us know or, better yet, submit an article to Trail Sweep. Just remember when you’re writing that “less is more.” Photographs are always welcome.
We hope that this change will serve our members well.
