FITCHBURG — The community came together recently for a very special and meaningful event in honor of two men who made a big impact during their lives.
The two black metal benches were dedicated at Crocker Field on Friday.
The benches have the names of Dan “Hopper” Flynn and Dave “Buck” Buckley on gold plates on them, a pair of Fitchburg High School Class of 1969 graduates, former proud Red Raiders who are missed by all who knew them.
The project was made possible through a collaboration with a lot of people and groups, including family and friends of the two late men, their significant others, Fitchburg Public Schools staff and the Crocker Field Restoration Committee.
“There are monuments to the great icons of Fitchburg, but this is a little different,” said their classmate Wally Richards, who played a part in making the benches a reality. “This honors two people who lived Fitchburg and lived Fitchburg High School.”
Colorful balloon bouquets were tied to the benches at the gathering, which drew dozens of people. Booklets featuring photos of the men and their partners included information about each of them with their high school senior portraits featured on the back. There was a basket of bracelets on Flynn’s bench with his name and the words “forever in our hearts”on them and several of the attendees shared their thoughts on the two men.
Fellow FHS Class of ’69 classmate Steve Holt thanked everyone for being there and gave a shoutout to the members of the Crocker Field Restoration Committee, representatives of the FHS alumni association, FPS Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Jeremy Roche, and all those who were part of bringing the benches to the field.
Holt called the affair “a celebration for Dave and Dan,” who he called “beloved Red Raiders,” and noted that it was a way “to mark the love shared between Dave and Elaine and Dan and Judy,” their respective significant others.
“Elaine and Judy, the love that you shared … and these beautiful gifts are wonderful,” Holt said.
Richards imparted that “it’s been a nice project” and joked that Fitchburg Mayor Sam Squailia recommended that the benches be blue, the trademark color of FHS’s rival, the Leominster High School Blue Devils.
“Thank you so much for your contribution,” the mayor said to those who helped with the benches, adding that “they are so classy, a functional memorial” made possible due to “community support and collaboration.”
There are two more concrete slabs already in place, spaces for additional benches and there will be even installed more down the road all around the field.
Before the ceremony began Judy Urda said, “this is great, I wanted something to do for him,” of her beloved partner Flynn.
Richards disclosed that while Flynn was his best man in his wedding, their story began long before that as classmates at FHS and then the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The two of them “bummed around Europe” together for six weeks when they were young men and although they lost touch due to busy lives and raising children and such, Richards said they reconnected over the last few years.
“I miss just knowing that he’s there,” Richards said of his friend. “Just a great guy, a good guy to know. You always want them around one more day.”
He shared that historic Crocker Field is the most fitting place to memorialize Buckley and Flynn, the home of the FHS Red Raiders and where Babe Ruth visited decades ago.
“It’s full of tradition,” Richards said of the location.
When Roche asked who of those in attendance are a “proud” graduate of FHS, many of them raised their hands, and he said his former role as FHS principal for 11 years was his “favorite job I’ve ever hand.”
“Buck and Hopper, they loved being Red Raiders, they loved being part of this community,” Roche said of the two men who are missed by many.
He went on to give a shoutout to the Fitchburg Department of Publics Work crew, who upon learning how expensive the project could potentially be said “let us take care of that” and helped with the site work and more.
Roche also thanked the members of the Crocker Field Conservation Committee for being part of recognizing “two great people” and helping to fund new turf, a new track and many other field upgrades over the years.
“Thanksgiving Day all the people are going to try and sit here,” Richards said about benches and the traditional FHS vs. LHS football game held on the holiday every year, which drew laughs from the crowd.
Flynn’s daughter Meghan Curtis said her father, who died in May of last year, “would be so proud to be part of this.”
“He loved his Fitchburg community. I am in awe of this support and what people do for my father.”
A friend of the two men, John McGillicuddy, said Flynn was “a loveable guy .. .[with] an unquenchable thirst for learning” — and that both he and Buckley are “examples of people who just have that love of learning.”
Buckley’s brother Tim Buckley graduated from FHS in 1975 and there were six siblings total.
“I’m not surprised by the number of people who are here today. He was a lot of fun to be around — well sometimes he was a pain in the ass,” Tim Buckley quipped about his brother who passed away in March 2024, prompting chuckles from the crowd. “He was just a great guy.”
Before those who could gathered at Slattery’s Restaurant on Lunenburg Street to toast Dan “Hopper” Flynn and Dave “Buck” Buckley, Holt said the benches are “symbols of their love.”
“They have touched each one of us.”
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