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Last year's fair was dedicated to Claude F. Joyal.
September 15, 1960 - June 9, 2002
Claude Joyal was a happy
man. Anyone who knew him, knew that. And those of us who were lucky enough to
have worked with Claude on the Blandford Fair saw evidence in the high-voltage
grin he so frequently flashed at fair-goers and fellow volunteers.
It didn’t seem to matter
where he was - the horse barn, the petting zoo, the president’s building, the
entertainment stage, or in and around the various concessions - somehow, Claude
could be found within minutes, without being paged, for his beaming,
almost-blinding smile always gave him away. You could see his smile clear across
the fair grounds, even in the midst of high-attendance crowds. And once you saw
Claude’s smile, you could not help but smile yourself. It was that contagious!
It was also easy to see the
things Claude loved about being involved with the Blandford Fair: the
camaraderie of week-end work parties where he spent time repairing what needed
to be repaired and preparing for what might be; the joking, teasing banter with
everyone after a fair meeting; the many hours keeping watch at the horse shows,
and later, around a small camp-fire, keeping guard at the horse barn; the walks,
hand-in-hand with his wife Sue, along the fair way, over to the wood-carver,
down to the truck-pulls; the lively sounds of entertainers and band members who
he himself had often hired, and the chance to chat with each of them after a
performance.
There was much Claude Joyal
loved about the Blandford Fair, yet, in his own words, it was “the sense of
community, the chance to contribute, and the pride of a job well-done,” which
kept him coming back each September, and which kept those of us around him so
glad he did.
As volunteers of the
Blandford Fair, it is hard to accept that Claude Joyal will no longer be coming
back. Our loss is immeasurable. We find comfort in knowing his spirited
dedication and generous contribution to the fair will never be forgotten. This
Labor Day week-end, as we look across the fair grounds and see attendees
smiling, laughing and enjoying themselves, we will know that the essence of
Claude lives on, and that his high-voltage grin can never completely fade.
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