Setting up the season

A total eclipse, a major April snowstorm and unexpected political retirements all contributed to an interesting early spring landscape in New Hampshire.

The eclipse was scheduled and drew massive crowds to northern parts of the state; April snow is more common here than not; and the unexpected often occurs in politics, especially in New Hampshire. But they did make for a lot of headlines.

The retirement of Rep. Ann McLane Kuster from the Second District congressional seat set off a lot of political posturing and calculations. Combined with the end of Chris Sununu’s governorship and the unexpected retirement of Councilor Ted Gatsas, the politicians seemed to move the chairs around actively.

At the same time, more somber events may have gone unnoticed. The deaths of two longtime New Hampshire friends of mine are worth noting, at least to me.

One day in the fall of 1966, as a young freshman at UNH, I walked into Stillings Dining Hall, and, as often was the case, sat down at a table and met new people. That particular day, I met a woman who would become a lifetime friend. We developed a table of friends who often would eat together, and support each other. Joan Slavin, a fellow freshman, home economics major, would later meet her husband, John Rice, who was a graduate student at UNH just as Joan finished.

Joan and John settled in Portsmouth, where they became prominent fixtures in the city, he in real estate, and she in trust work, nonprofit administration and civic affairs.

When I saw Joan’s obituary in the Union Leader after her death on March 4, it was like a punch in the stomach. Her memorial service, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, was filled with admirers and friends, and those speaking were prominent community members who told touching and humorous stories about Joan.

Her strength for years of fighting cancer, unknown to many, was noted by all, and the lessons she taught were a testament to a life well lived. The colonial-era church provided the perfect backdrop for the service, and the Book of Common Prayer the right tone.

Richard Cummings owned a tannery in Lebanon, and lived in Hanover. In 1976, after the Legislature passed the Public Employee Labor Relations Act, then-Gov. Meldrim Thomson named Dick Cummings as one of the original members of the Public Employee Labor Relations Board, along with Gen. Edward J. Hazeltine, Joseph Moriarity, James Anderson and Edward Allman. Together, they had the task of developing public sector labor law in the state. Meanwhile, Dick’s business suffered the same fate as many other tanneries, as the environmental effects of the chemicals used in them forced them out of business, but he dusted himself off and got a job with the state of New Hampshire, helping locate businesses here. He and his family had a cherished home on Newfound Lake, where generations enjoyed family and fun. Along with his wife, Nancy, he lived into old age in Hanover and on the lake. Nancy died on March 3, after a short illness. Dick died five weeks later, perhaps of a broken heart. Both of them formed the kind of team that brought joy to those they met and the lucky ones they raised.

On a different serious topic, retired Union Leader Publisher Joseph McQuaid has written a poignant account of the effects of war on New Hampshire families. At a time when the last World War II veterans are passing from the scene, “War Fronts/Home Fires” tells the story of B.J. McQuaid, Joe’s father, as a war correspondent covering the fighting while his wife kept the home together.

Quoting dispatches from overseas, letters and communications home, and stories about others who were experiencing the war, the book is a powerful reminder of what our parents’ and grandparents’ “greatest” generation did and the sacrifices millions of Americans made. Tales of food rationing, lack of fuel and the challenge of raising children alone demonstrate the sacrifice of those at home.

It is important to think about the unity of effort, the common sacrifice and the shared national vision that surrounded and spurred on the sacrifices, especially at this point in our national life. Joe McQuaid has written a fine book that makes us think about what they did and the age they experienced, which largely set up the world the rest of us got to experience.

Correction: In my April 12 column, I mistakenly identified John Kerry, rather than former Sen. Bob Kerrey, as co-chair of a spending study.

Brad Cook is a Manchester attorney. The views expressed in this column are his own. He can be reached at bradfordcook01@gmail.com.