Turner loses well-known resident whose lasting projects include Music for Mavis gazebo

TURNER — Dick Thibodeau Sr., 77, of Turner, who passed away Nov. 29 following a battle with T-cell lymphoma, was well known in his hometown as a cornerstone of the Music for Mavis gazebo, for which he provided generously.
He was the ongoing overseer, in charge of maintaining the gazebo, which has served as a place for free music concerts during the summer months.

For the past 11 years, Dick and his wife, Stephanie Jo, along with friend Roger “Griz” Grenier, put up the Gazebo Christmas tree in honor of Mavis Varney and Dick’s son, Daniel Jon Thibodeau. This year, following his loss, Grenier and Eddie Twitchell erected the tree in Thibodeau’s honor. They also rimmed the gazebo with garlands and lights to lift the spirits of the community he loved so much.
A 1961 graduate of Edward Little High School in Auburn, Thibodeau honed his electrical skills while working for several contractors. Following the death of his first wife — Gwendolyn Trider Thibodeau — in 1972, he started his own electrical contracting business, Thibodeau Electric Inc., to spend more time with his young sons — Rick, Mark, Patrick and Dan. Six years later, he and Stephanie Jo Cooper married and spent the next 42 years side-by-side, raising their daughter Amy, who joined them from Calcutta, India, in 1986.
In addition to the gazebo project, Thibodeau cared deeply about water quality in the ponds and lakes of Turner, especially Lake Auburn and Little Wilson Pond, where he owned property.
As noted in his obituary, he spent many hours researching and improving his education regarding best practices and putting them to use. He also loved spending many hours on his favorite lake, Mooselookmeguntic. He served as the Turner commissioner on the Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Committee for many years, was past president and board member of the Little Wilson Pond Improvement Association and a volunteer lake monitor for both Secci disk and dissolved oxygen testing.
He served on the Turner Planning Board, Comprehensive Planning Committee, Conservation Committee and Androscoggin Soil/Water Conservation District in addition to donating his time and expertise to the Music for Mavis gazebo project.
Each year, gazebo committee members meet with different community members to obtain the donation of a tree. On the day it was erected this year, two bald eagles were flying over Turner Village — as they did the first year Thibodeau helped put up the tree.
“I think Dick put those eagles in flight,” quipped Stephanie Jo, “just to let us know he is keeping his eye on us!”