Harold Ray Chick

WALLINGFORD - Harold R. Chick was born June 28, 1946, in Portland, ME, son of Raymond and Louise (Maxim) Chick, the youngest of 2 boys. He grew up on Intervale Dairy Farm in a multi-generational home in the town of Limington, ME, where he rose before sunrise to bottle and deliver milk to homes before school each morning. It was on that farm where he learned discipline and how to stretch a nickel into 2 (sometimes 3 or 4). And he managed to remain a featherweight from high school graduation through the rest of his life.
Harold joined the Army in 1967 where he became a sharpshooter and ultimately specialized in nuclear arms maintenance and repair. While stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, he met the woman who would become the love of his life, Marjorie (Machin) Chick from Russell, KS, who worked with the wife of one of his Army buddies. They married in Russell in January 1970 and relocated to Wallingford, CT, where he resumed his career designing, making, and repairing tools used to manufacture jet engines at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft.
Frugality was a well-practiced art. He was a dedicated practitioner of Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) decades before the acronym became popular and he retired from his career at Pratt & Whitney when he was 54.
From his early training on the farm where he had to solve many problems as they arose, he became a jack of all trades and master of most. He was an organic gardener, a skilled craftsman who enjoyed woodworking and in his "retirement" took on many home renovation projects with his son Dale when they renovated 7 homes over 8 years in their "spare time". When his wife wanted a hanging porch swing, he built a gazebo to hang it in. In his later years, he worked on several renovation projects with his brother-in-law in Kansas, including scenic representations of early life on the plains at a local history museum.
For over 50 years Harold was a devout parishioner of the First Congregational Church in Wallingford. He was also a dedicated member of Compass Lodge #9 in Wallingford for over 38 years, serving as their Chaplain for 18 of those years. He was Worshipful Master in 1997 and Associate Grand Marshal from 2001 - 2003. Being a Mason was a big part of his life and he really enjoyed making gavels on his lathe for other Masons both at his lodge and other lodges in CT.
Harold was always willing to drop whatever he was doing to go help someone out. Whether it was the widow next door who needed the snow cleared off her driveway (especially back when there were weekly snowstorms in CT), raking leaves for those who were not physically able, or you just needed to borrow that pen he had in his shirt pocket, he was there to help. In particular, he was always ready to help his sons with any problems that needed to be solved, predominantly related to home or vehicle repair. He took his time to methodically ponder all the pros and cons before coming up with a solution and would often triple or quadruple check measurements to precision. He had a quiet, patient demeanor unless his two sons were going to make him late for church (though he would still take them for donuts on a stick afterward) and as long as you never asked him "Are we there yet?" at any time while he was driving.
Harold and Marjorie loved to travel and took their sons on road trips every two years, sometimes through the southern states and sometimes up through Canada; it was a different route every time, though it always ended in Russell, KS where Marjorie is from. They spent many summers in retirement back in Russell. They also traveled extensively, particularly in the western states, going to at least one new national park each year with Marjorie's family, until Harold was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. During these trips he was often teased about many things including cashing in on senior discounts before he became one.
He passed at 1PM, April 5, 2023, after a short fight with cancer. Those who knew him would be surprised that such a disciplined person would wait until mid-day and chance a line at the gate. Though those who knew him well also understood he had a front of the line pass.
Harold is survived by his wife Marjorie, brother Ralph, and two sons Brian and Dale.
Harold's family will receive relatives and friends at The B.C. Bailey Funeral Home, 273 S. Elm St. in Wallingford on Wednesday April 12th, from 4pm to 6pm. A funeral service will be held in the funeral home at 6pm. His burial, with Military Honors, will take place at In Memoriam Cemetery, 18 Maplewood Ave. in Wallingford at 10am on Thursday April 13th. All who wish to attend are asked to gather directly at the cemetery. To leave a message of remembrance please visit: www.BaileyCares.com
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