The Council Room

[DavidAyars]

For those who didn’t yet see the announcement in the “Of Interest to All” thread where we post information like this, I’m sorry to tell you that we lost Garth Nelson. You can read his obituary there on p. 2. When Mike created that thread some time ago, I’m sure he never dreamed he’d someday need to use it to share the news of the passing of his most cherished friend, but he did ask in the first post of the thread that other thoughts be shared in new threads rather than the “Of Interest” one, so I’m creating this one.

Obviously there are no words adequate to sum up Garth’s life or what he meant to Wyanokers, but at times like this, silence seems even less appropriate, so I try on this day of his funeral and hope others will add their thoughts and personal stories.

In addition to the many hundreds of lives he impacted in two decades of summers in Wolfeboro, Garth went on to become the director of another summer camp with a storied legacy, Camp Agawam in Maine. Known fondly there as Chief, he touched many hundreds of others for the better. He also coached girls’ soccer in Hanover, Massachusetts for many years. He was a devoted family man, married to Barbara, who many Wyanokers were also honored to know as a friend, with daughter Meredith, son-in-law Richard, and grandson Jackson. This was a man who gave his professional and personal life to making sure kids grew up as healthy in body, mind, and spirit as possible in this twisted world.

No one who knew Garth will ever forget his megawatt grin, his sardonic wit, and his love to laugh... his indomitable spirit... his very genuine warmth and caring… his body built to successfully wrestle fireplugs into crushed submission... and his gentleness. And he couldn’t sing worth a damn... but on occasion, to help out Mike and Pat, he tried. And that’s what counts… or so I’m told.

When I close my eyes, I picture Garth in the late 1960s, on a rare trip with young men and with Mike (usually they led separate multiday hut trips simultaneously to satisfy demand), 50 pounds on his back, cruising the Lion’s Head trail on the side of Mt. Washington. It is surely one of the places he was happiest doing one of the things he most enjoyed.

My deepest condolences to Barbara, Meredith, Richard, Jackson and the many other family members and friends of Garth who knew him better than I. There is no fairness in the amount of time we’re allotted here on earth. It is not based on one’s goodness or how much one is needed by others, or Garth would have lived much longer.
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Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

[Tom Rawson]

Thanks, David. Garth was my counselor in S-1 in 1967. He had his hands full with a crew of wild thirteen year old boys. There were some big personalities in that group, and some difficult relationships. Garth used these conflicts as tools for helping his charges develop empathy and compassion. Garth sure knew how to have fun keeping us alive and on a relatively moral path. Often joined by Mike in these endeavors--see the thread on pranks. There is a very nice photo of Garth, Steve McDavitt, and me at the Farewell Banquet in 1967 posted in the photo section of this web site. My condolences to Garth's family and to the entire Wyanoke family.
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1963 C-5 Walter Scheirer
1964 C-2 Bill Sloane
1966 J-4 Dave Clemens
1967 S-1 Garth Nelson

[TodWhittemore]

I was shocked to learn of Garth's passing. The big grin, laugh and indomitable spirit immediately flashed. The last time I spoke with Garth he attempted to recruit me for a councilor position at Camp Agawam.

My condolences to his family. The world is short a keen and wonderful spirit.

Tod Whittemore
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C-2; John Bales 1960
C-4: Ted Berard 1961
J-6: Ned Niblock 1962
J-3: Tom Falcon 1963
S-8: John Steele 1964
S-2: Russ Young 1965
JA-2: Dan Mannis 1966
JC -1967 J-3
Councilor J-6, 1968, 1969, 1973