From The Other Side of the Desk
KEENE, N.H. – Married on Oct. 2, 1965, to Mary Nims from S. Londonderry, Vt. (a blind date set up by a mutual friend Roland was living with). Irish Twins (good news and bad news: penned by a neighbor) arrived quickly thereafter; this would become Roland’s longest owned investment to finally pay a dividend.
Roland had the perfect match in Mary; they would go on to host many all-day cookouts and late-night dinner parties.
Not an athlete or a standout in the academic community, Roland enjoyed the friendships made trying to become a better golfer. He loved to ski during the winter months, however it took a long time for him to realize that there was more to skiing than just two turns – one to get on the lift and one to get off.
After he served his country for two years in the Army, he returned home to become a self-proclaimed accomplished water skier and rat rod boat builder to pull himself and friends around a small hometown lake during the summer and fall months. He claimed there was proof of his summertime accolades but could never get the super 8 film projector to work to prove it.
Time spent on Lake Sunapee through the ‘80s and ‘90s saw the sinking of more than one motorboat, but it also gave Roland the opportunity to pursue another hobby – catamaran sailing. To say there was a lot of reading and a significant amount of pre-sail preparation involved would be an understatement.
Suffice to say that sailing with Roland turned out to be a much better spectator sport from the shore that an actual participant on the boat. Despite all its folly, Roland enjoyed it immensely and could always find a willing first mate not named Mary.
Water, whether on it, in it, or near it, the Dynamic Duo flourished around it. Didn’t matter if it was in the form of a pool, lake, ocean, or sea, it was the one constant that brought instant relaxation and calmness to a hectic schedule and busy life.
Dancing – No one was safe, be it weddings, graduations, summer parties, or special functions such as the Okemo Ball. Being female and watching him cross the dance floor searching for a (victim) partner was as terrifying as being called up to the head of a calculus class to solve a problem in front of a lecture hall full of fellow classmates. It didn’t matter – someone was oblivious and had their back turned to his strutting approach. In an instant they were literally thrown, pushed, dragged, spun, and twirled before you knew what was happening. Inevitably you’d end up on floor, under or on top of the table, just praying for the music to end and to be followed up by a much slower tempo song. I believe they made a movie in the ‘70s based some of these moves, not sure though.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that his work life was a top priority for Roland. Many success stories along the way and with many risks taken comes more than a few failures for sure. Roland’s true passion was being an accountant bar none, knowing him, you knew this from the onset. Coming in a very close second was the stock market. The Wall Street Journal was always somewhere on his person, and a daily time slot was devoted to reading it. When I say reading it – I mean dissecting it like Bobby Fisher plays a game of chess. Roland played this game of chess every day, slowing only recently to a few matches a month when able. As all chess players know, time wins the final match.
Becoming a snowbird may have been the one time the two of them fooled us all, convinced they would opt for the Tradewinds and sunny beaches of the Caribbean, they chose the ever-popular villages of central Florida. Roland and Mary enjoyed it but did not love it. Enter Covid and moving back.
Roland thanks “everyone” for their well wishes at the end, as well as times spent during his life. Without all your support all that I had accomplished would not have been as much fun or worthwhile. I’d have still done it – it just would not have been the same.
Going forward Roland would want all of you to contribute to your own 401{k) or IRA because you can never have enough money to retire on. He would go on to say, it’s all up to you, no one is going to do it for you.
Check Mate.