As the Snow Bowl staff prepares for the opening of this year's ski season, we do so with a big void and a hole in our hearts. Our community lost a true friend, William "Fitzy" Fitzcharles III. Fitzy was in charge of mountain operations at the Snow Bowl and managed the maintenance of Camden’s 700 acres of parks, recreational areas, historic cemeteries and facilities. Fitzy was a hard-working, dedicated co-worker who was fully committed to the people and the kids of our community.

During his decade with the Town of Camden, Fitzy was an integral part of making the Snow Bowl a special place for everyone to enjoy. Fitzy was synonymous with the Snow Bowl. Even if you didn't know him personally, anyone who ever visited the Snow Bowl probably knew Fitzy. He was always on the go, attending to every operational aspect and detail to make sure everything ran well and people would have a great time when they visited the Snow Bowl. Even if he had a mile-long "to do" list, Fitzy would stop to greet you, give you his undivided attention, and make you feel welcomed and special.

Fitzy shared his talents and his experience generously with us. When Fitzy joined the Snow Bowl staff a decade ago he came with a wealth of ski industry experience. As a teenager in Bridgton, Fitzy developed his love of the outdoors and the ski industry. During his 20 years at Shawnee Peak, Fitzy learned every aspect of the ski industry, from lift and trail maintenance to facilities and grounds management. Fitzy then took his experience west to Red Lodge, Mont., where he started as a lift mechanic at the Red Lodge Mountain Resort, and became manager of lift operations and maintenance. After 10 years in Montana, Fitzy knew he wanted to come back to Maine and he became the maintenance supervisor of the Camden Snow Bowl.

Fitzy had worked through challenging conditions at other ski areas that were doing major facility improvements. That experience was invaluable last year during the Snow Bowl redevelopment project, when Fitzy and the operations crew worked tirelessly to overcome formidable challenges to finish the lifts, make snow and groom the mountain to near perfection so the Snow Bowl could open.

Fitzy embodied the essence of what the Snow Bowl and our parks and recreation facilities mean to our community. Every day Fitzy worked beside co-workers, community volunteers and others to care for our wonderful community spaces for the enjoyment of all. Fitzy took pride in his responsibilities – but he never took credit. He considered it an honor and he always recognized the group effort.

We are grateful for Fitzy's skills, exceptional efforts and dedication. We will remember him as a person with a generous spirit and as a dedicated town employee, who was committed to making our community better than he found it. Camden is a better place thanks to Fitzy.

Pat Finnigan is the town manager of Camden