Will Wilcox, 75, of Chester

Willard (Will) Wilcox, 75, of Chester, died on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 of brain cancer at Springfield Health and Rehab. Will was born in Brattleboro to Willard and Marion Wilcox. Will had a lifelong love affair with books. He was especially fond of Tolkien, Sam Johnson, Virginia Wolf, C. S. Lewis, Thoreau and many other poets and authors.

Will lived with mental health challenges in his earlier life, transitioning from client to counselor and finishing his life working in Chester’s Whiting Library surrounded by the books he treasured and the people who loved him. Always welcoming to all, Will greeted everyone he met with a smile and a genuine interest in what people had to say.

Will was a past member of the Chester Rotary, lifetime member of the Ascutney Trails Association and a member of the Green Mountain Club. When Will was younger, he would hike Mount Monadnock, for which he felt a special connection.

Will leaves behind a brother, Daniel, and his wife, Linda, of Colchester; two nieces, Kate Herrera, and her husband, Cisco, of Clarendon, and Sarah Curran and her husband, James, of Winooski. Will was always excited to hear about the activities his two grandnephews, Henry and Sam Curran.

In what seemed like a previous life, Will attended the University of Vermont, and left to join a blues band in Denver, Colo. While that adventure did not pan out, Will enjoyed playing guitar with a passion for blues and jazz music. Will attended many concerts including those at Fillmore West in San Francisco and the Boston Tea Party in Massachusetts, where he saw B.B. King, Paul Butterfield, Charlie Musselwhite and many more.

At one period in his life, Will lived with his mother, Marion Wilcox, and helped her run a book/collectibles shop out of her property on Route 11 in Chester. They would travel the area together looking for unique items and books to sell. Will never lost the excitement he felt when he found an especially interesting book at the many books sales he loved to attend.

Will enjoyed visiting the family camp in Reading, where he would mow the grass, then sit outside reading and listening to the birds. A special treat awaited him on Sunday mornings at camp when his niece, Kate, and her husband, Cisco, would cook him a delicious breakfast.

While Will did not marry, he experienced the love of a whole community, the wonderful people he met and worked with at the Whiting Library, his fellow Rotarians, the friendly residents at the Chester Apartments, the many book dealers he met, and whole bunch of other people who knew Will.

We will miss Will, but know that he lived a life made meaningful by his passion for books and the love he gave and received from those that knew him.

In accordance with Will’s wishes, a graveside ceremony for family will be held in the spring.

Donations may be given in Will’s memory to the Whiting Library in Chester by clicking here, or by sending a check to Whiting Library, 117 Main St. , Chester, VT 05143.  Please add Will’s name to the memo line.