Richard "Dick" Bell

Dick Bell’s contributions to Maine skiing date back to the earliest days of the sport in the state. When the Farmington Ski Club was formed to create the Titcomb Ski Area, Bell gave the fledgling area its first rope tow. His station wagon provided the first ambulance service at the slopes and he was a life long member and contributor to the Farmington Ski Club.

He was also among the founders of the Sugarloaf Mountain Corp. and a member of the Sugarloaf Ski Club from its inception. Bell also served as a member and director for many years on the boards of the Maine Ski Council and the United States Eastern Ski Association. These were all volunteer positions and it was as a volunteer that he made his mark.

Somehow, while operating a successful insurance business Dick Bell made the time to serve on a volunteer basis as Director of Civil Defense in Farmington and as a deputy sheriff. In his civil defense position he managed to provide (on a permanent loan) blankets, cots and Thomas splints to the early Sugarloaf Ski Patrol on which he also served. As a member of that patrol his station wagon once again became an ambulance.

For most, simply working with two ski patrols would be plenty, but Bell also took on the added duties of timing races at both ski areas year after year. His activities extended well beyond the ski season as he spent countless hours stringing miles of wires for emergency phones posted on the mountain. In 1971 when the World Cup came to Sugarloaf for the Tall Timber Classic Bell was on hand once again to furnish loud speakers and provided his camp “Snodunder” as a base for doctors covering the event.

On his own he provided a warming hut at the base of “Chicken Pitch” on Tote Road, simply because he felt the skiers needed it. His interest in providing for needs created one of his most lasting legacies. Because he believed skiers should not miss out on either skiing or church he led the drive for a ski in ski out facility on the mountain. His contribution as the major fund raiser for Sugarloaf’s Interfaith Chapel was recognized when it named for him following his death in 1972. It is fitting the basement of the Dick Bell Interfaith Chapel now houses the ski patrol. His devotion to that organization earned a National Appointment, an honor reserved for those who have made significant contributions to the patrol above and beyond the day to day activities of a patrolman.

His love of skiing and dedication to Sugarloaf led to his chronicling of the area’s history from its beginning through photography, newspaper clippings, writing and creating homemade ads. Years of volunteer service to skiing in Maine and Sugarloaf and Titcomb have left a lasting legacy and earned Dick Bell a place in the Maine Ski Hall of Fame.