Sugaring Off: Vermont Politics and History, Plain and Simple

As 2024 draws to a close, we here at Sugaring Off are taking time to remember a number of distinguished legislators, political actors, and civic leaders who passed away this year. I put out the call for submissions a couple of weeks ago, but if there’s anyone not included in this article who you believe deserves recognition, please let me know and this article will be updated.

Giants of the Senate

Vermont lost three veterans of the green chamber this year. In May, Sen. Dick Mazza of Colchester, the longtime chairman of Senate Transportation and Third Member™ of the Committee on Committees, passed away at age 84. Mazza was also the longtime proprietor of his eponymous general store in Malletts Bay, which has been a fixture on West Lakeshore Drive since the 1950s. Sen. Mazza and his late wife, Dolly, were also active and devoted parishioners at Holy Cross Church in Colchester. I spent a fair bit of time at Holy Cross in my (younger) youth (it’s my aunt and uncle’s parish) and always found Sen. Mazza to be a consummate gentleman (and a very snappy dresser). He’ll be missed both in the State House and in Colchester.

In June, Sen. Dick Sears of Bennington, the longtime chair of Senate Judiciary, died after a lengthy battle with numerous health issues. Sen. Sears was a champion for at-risk youth, fueled by his history as an adoptee, and in his later years was a leader on numerous pieces of landmark criminal justice and environmental legislation.

In August, Sen. Bill Doyle, the longest-serving Senator in Vermont’s history, passed away at age 98. In addition to his lengthy tenure in the Senate, Doyle was also Professor of Political Science at Johnson State (NVU-Johnson/VTSU-Johnson) for sixty years. Doyle literally wrote the book on Vermont politics, The Vermont Political Tradition and Those Who Helped Make It, and all of us who study and write about Vermont politics owe him a debt of gratitude.

Masters of the House

Rep. Curt McCormack, who served non-consecutive stints in the legislature representing Rutland City and Burlington’s Old North End, died in September at the age of 72. He served as chair of the Natural Resources and Transportation Committees. A dedicated environmentalist who talked the talk and walked the walk, McCormack did not own a car, did not fly, and was an avid cyclist and user of (and advocate for) public transportation.

Rep. Don Turner was rightly known as “Mr. Milton.” He represented Milton in the State House (during which time he served as Minority Leader) and also served as Milton’s town manager and fire chief. He died just a month ago at age 60 after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. In 2018, Turner was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor. Milton recently named its new public works building in Turner’s honor.

A Public Servant from the Onion City

Vermont lost a distinguished public servant this year when Bob Picher of Winooski passed away at age 99. Picher was a Korean War veteran, an attorney, and a longtime fixture in state and local politics who served as Winooski Grand Juror, Justice of the Peace, and Zoning Board member. In Montpelier, Picher served as Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs under Governor Stafford and served 30 years as clerk of the Vermont House

My uncle, who grew up in Winooski, told me this story about Picher: When Lyndon Johnson was running for president in 1964, he made a campaign stop in Winooski. The local Democratic Party organized a rally that happened to be just outside the building where Picher kept his office. Naturally, Picher peeked out of his office window to see what was going on. Mayor Chick Dupont (of Chick’s Market fame) was introducing LBJ and explaining the city’s name when he spied Picher hanging out of the window: “Winooski means “onion” because in Winooski we make Republicans cry, isn’t that right, Bob?” Picher laughed and shut his window. It can’t have been easy being a Republican in Winooski in the 60s, when Democratic candidates regularly pulled 80-90% of the vote.

The Activist from the Southshire

Jim Vires was not a native Vermonter but certainly took to the Green Mountain State like a duck to water and cared deeply about his adopted community in Bennington. The Bennington activist and organizer died suddenly in October after suffering a massive heart attack. He worked on a multitude of local and state advocacy and electoral campaigns and is sorely missed by his community and his friends from around the state.

According to his obituary, Vires drew his email signature from Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” All seven of these Vermonters cared a whole awful lot about their communities and our state as a whole, and we are all better off for their engagement and service. Requiescant in pace.