Letter: Virginia Close’s Gift to Norwich
Virginia Close’s Gift to Norwich
To the Editor:
As many of the members of the Norwich Planning Commission — past and present — recall, Virginia Close was the most regular attendee at our meetings for years. When she was quiet, which was almost always, she was attentive. When she spoke, she was outspoken. More than once we saw her speak truth to power; her natural diffidence and the frailness of her small frame belied by the conviction of what she believed to be right, good and true.
Virginia was a strong, thoughtful, gentle soul.
In recent years, it became too much of a physical challenge for her to attend our meetings, but we often thought her there nonetheless. Similarly, we see her still in the town clerk’s office, hour after hour squinting at those odd squiggles on ancient Norwich land deeds, marriage certificates and other town records, having volunteered to transcribe them to a digital form.
Virginia cared passionately about bringing history to the present — it was one of her gifts to the future.
Thank you, Virginia. May you rest in peace.
Thomas Gray, Chair
Richard Stucker, Vice Chair
Phil Dechert, Clerk
And the other members of
The Norwich Planning Commission
