Obituary: Chip Hedler, 1945-2024 

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• Courtesy
• Chip Hedler

Chip Hedler passed away in his home in South Strafford, Vt., on March 19, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Maria Cabri; his stepchildren, Cedar Davidson and Gioia Cabri; and his siblings, Susan, Martin and Alan Hedler.

He was born in Toledo, Ohio, on May 13, 1945, to Doris Sing and Richard Hedler. He initially attended the University of Toledo, but he was drafted and served as a medic in Vietnam. After the war, he became very involved in a YMCA camp in northern Michigan, as a counselor, where he became a sailor and all-around outdoors person, as well as a folk singer and guitar player. He later enrolled in Oberlin College, where he never quite finished, due to anti-war activities and the general turbulence of the era. He eventually wound up graduating from Antioch New England with a degree in outdoor education and a certification in elementary education.

Chip was a veteran of Vermont’s one-room schoolhouses, having taught in Danville and Walden, and eventually in Vermont’s last one-room schoolhouse, the Elmore School. Chip held various teaching positions over the years but eventually settled at Rumney Memorial School in Middlesex, Vt., where he taught for over 20 years. He was fortunate to have a role in the school where his many skills could be applied. In a typical school day, Chip might replace a wireless base, teach a keyboarding lesson, show students how to use a miter saw and then see students safely onto the bus at the end of the day.

The Civil Rights Movement and social unrest which he lived through influenced his unceasing desire that the school — its personnel, practices, policies and written materials — be models of fairness and equity.

Chip was always forgiving of error, his own and others, and very understanding of the well-intentioned mistake in any form – a lesson, a line of code, a misunderstood remark or an administrative decision. In moments of reflection, he quoted one of his favorite teachers: “We all do things in the best wrong way we know how.”

After retiring from full-time teaching at Rumney, he joined the Newton School in his town of Strafford, where he quickly became a valued member of the school community. Along the way, Chip became an accomplished guitarist and was well-known and loved among the traditional music community in northern New England. He was a founding member, rhythm section and caller for the Nips (or the Parsnips), a northern Vermont contra dance band. He was a member of two local bands, Cuckoo’s Nest and Blind Squirrel, who played for many a contra dance in Tracy Hall and elsewhere around the Upper Valley. He was valued for his deep appreciation for the roots of New England dancing, as well as his ability to anchor any band and anchor the dancers’ feet to the beat.

During his 24 years living in Strafford, he enjoyed backcountry skiing and hiking with his wife, Maria. As an avid cyclist, he would regularly ride his vintage and lovingly restored 1959 Geminiani road bicycle up to 100 miles around the Connecticut river valley. He was a steady and inspiring mentor for Cedar and Gioia during their formative years. A night owl himself, he could be relied on for late night homework help and sound life advice.

A celebration of life will be held on June 29 2024, and additional details will be released to the website beforehand. A website to share photos, memories or anything else about Chip can be found at: sites.google.com/view/rememberingchiphedler.