Rick Hube

LONDONDERRY - State Rep. Rick Hube of Londonderry, who addressed Vermont's problems and legislative issues with the passion of an advocate and the patience of a statesman, died unexpectedly Dec. 21, 2009, while visiting family in Florida. He was 62.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Rick earned a BA in history at Colgate University in 1970 and began his career as a management trainee for the McDonald's Corp., where he worked his way up to managing the chain's second busiest restaurant in Connecticut.

He relocated to Vermont in 1978, working first at the Stratton Mountain golf course and spending one winter on the Stratton Ski Patrol. In 1980, he was promoted to personnel director at Stratton and held the same position with Stratton's sister ski area, Bromley Mountain. Rick subsequently held a variety of management positions at Stratton, including marketing manager, director of recreation and lodging director. In 1990, he started Hube, Inc., a property management firm.

Rick enjoyed politics and ran for office on the Republican ticket for the Vermont House of Representatives in 1999. After being elected he later wrote in a report to constituents how he felt a sense of "awe and respect" for the men and women who had done the "people's business" over the past two centuries, putting people and principle above partisanship and personal agendas. The same leadership qualities that moved him quickly through the ranks of business also served him well in the Legislature, where he was appointed to the House Commerce, Judiciary, Government Operations, Rules, and Ways & Means Committees, the House-Senate Joint Rules Committee, and the Joint Fiscal Committee.

He also served as the House Majority Whip, as vice chair of the Government Operations Committee and was elected by his legislative peers to the University of Vermont Board of Trustees. In 2008, he served as Vice-Chair of Senator John McCain's presidential campaign in Vermont. At home, he was a trustee of the Chapel of the Snows and a founding board member of the Stratton Foundation.

Rick is survived by his sister Jane and husband James W. Louttit, M.D. of Maitland, Florida, his niece Lisa, of New York City and his nephew Jay, wife Margaret and their son William of Carrollton, Georgia. Rick was predeceased by his father, Richard W. Hube Sr., his mother, Elizabeth H. Hube and his younger sister Elizabeth M. Hube.

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010, at 1 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church in Farmington, Conn. He will be interred in the Memorial Garden at St. James with his parents and sister. A Celebration of his life will be held in Vermont on Sunday, Jan. 31st, which is Rick's birthday. It will be held at 2 p.m. at the Burtscher Fieldhouse at Stratton Mountain School in Stratton. Further details, including directions can be found on his website, www.rickhube.com.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Friends Hut, 210 South Galena, Aspen, Colorado 81611. This hut was built in memory of Rick's sister Betsey and nine others who perished in an airplane accident in 1980. Memorial contributions may also be made in Rick's name to a Vermont charity of choice in keeping with the causes Rick supported. In this way, we will uphold Rick's love for the State of Vermont, his district, and especially the people of Vermont.