June 30, 2014 — What can you say about a man who has worked the same job for 65 years — and loved it? Quite a lot. A crowd of colleagues, family, friends and state and area officials gathered at the Fireside Restaurant in Middleboro last Friday to honor Richard "Dicky" Turner of Lakeville and celebrate his retirement. He has worked for the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for more than 65 years, since January 10, 1949, with the last 63 of those years spent at the Southeast District Office in Bourne, which he helped to build in the mid-1950s.
As a wildlife biologist and technician, some of his many duties over the past six-and-a-half decades included: pheasant, quail, snowshoe hare and trout management and stocking; wood duck box installation and monitoring; Canada goose, duck, ruffed grouse, woodcock and eagle surveys; transporting injured wildlife to rehabilitators or Tufts Wildlife Clinic; habitat management; biological deer check station operation; checking furbearers and wild turkeys; and oiled bird capture during the Buzzards Bay oil spill, just to name a few.
"I have been privileged to work with one of the kindest, most knowledgeable and experienced wildlife professionals," said Jason Zimmer, Southeast District Manager. "In the 10 years I've been manager of the district, it's been obvious to me that Dicky's passion and dedication to wildlife and conservation has never waned. And he has always shined in his ability to interact with the general public. His good-natured personality coupled with his intimate knowledge of many wildlife species allows him to talk people through just about any wildlife situation. When he interacts with people about wildlife, you can see his love for it. His personal demeanor has, without a doubt, benefitted the image of the Division."
Zimmer also said that at the office, nothing goes to waste and referred to Dicky as a semi-professional nail-straightener. He also noted that last Friday's event wasn't the first such "retirement" party for Turner, who is so loved and admired by so many that this was actually his fourth party. Several years ago, the sportsmen of the three counties in the Southeast District — Bristol, Plymouth and Barnstable — organized a testimonial for Turner as it was widely speculated that he would never retire and that his dedication to the area's fish and wildlife needed to be honored. Also believing he would never retire, six years ago the Division had not one, but two, 80th birthday parties for him and celebrated his long-standing career. He turned 86 yesterday.
Read the full story at New Bedford Standard Times