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Norman Reich
Feb 19, 2025
SALISBURY — Norman Reich, 93, passed away on Feb. 10, 2025, at his beloved home on Twin Lakes in Salisbury. He was the loving husband of Beverly Reich for 62 years, and she remained by his side, fiercely guarding his comfort and dignity, until the end.
Born July 25, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York, Norman was the son of Elsie and Harry Reich. He was deeply proud of having been Sports Editor of the Tulane University Hullabaloo and having served as a dental officer in the U.S. Navy after attending New York University Dental School. He often expressed his gratitude for those who protected our country in battle, and he knew that he was lucky to have seen only angry seas instead of war.
Norman married Beverly after a courtship in New York, where he would practice dentistry for 40 years, and at his family’s Berkshire Hills Camp (BHC) in Salisbury. The young couple (with 3 children in tow) took over running the camp in 1971. BHC was a revered institution, and former campers continue to visit its lakeside property where the Reichs made their home in its restored gymnasium.
Prior to their move to Northwest Connecticut, the Reichs raised their children in Scarsdale, New York. There, Norman took up his most revered pastime: running. “Stormin Norman” completed 6 marathons in New York, Boston, and Washington D.C., rounding off his merits by walking the New York Marathon for his 80th birthday as a fundraiser for Team for Kids.
A board member of the Northwest Center for Family Services and the 21st Century Fund for Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Norman believed in serving his community and in giving back.
He was generous and kind, and his genuine smile, animated stories, and goofy sense of humor lit up a room. Norman was never happier than when surrounded by family and friends. He is survived by Beverly and their three children, Randall, Joseph, and Donald; three children-in-law, Peter, Erica, and Frankie; three grandchildren, Paulina, Fia, and Dylan; and his younger sister, Joan. He was predeceased by his older sister, Barbara. He is also remembered by countless family members and friends who he touched through his shining amiable spirit.
The family will hold an intimate celebration of Norman’s life in the spring when a tree will be planted in his honor and a bugle will blow taps, a nod to both the military and BHC. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in hopes that a cure will come soon for this heartbreaking illness which impacted Norman.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
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Gretchen Mol and Campbell Scott in a reading of “Love Letters” at the Sharon Playhouse
Matthew Kreta
The Sharon Playhouse held a one night showing of the play “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney on Saturday, Feb 15. The sold out, though only partially attended due to the weather, performance was held in the Bok Gallery and starred Gretchen Mol and Campbell Scott.
“Love Letters” is an epistolary play, meaning the story is conveyed through the letters exchanged between the two main characters: Melissa Gardener, played by Mol, and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, played by Scott. The play begins at childhood and lasts until the characters are about sixty years old. With the performers reading letters back and forth, the staging is minimal—intimate lighting casts a warm glow over the two actors seated at a single table, where they remain for the entire performance. The Bok Gallery’s cozy setting enhances the play’s simplicity, making for an intimate and engaging experience.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of “Love Letters” is its pacing and flow, which Mol and Scott brought out fantastically. For the majority of the play, the actors simply trade lines back and forth as they read their letters. This back and forth is broken up through occasional bits of quick, heated exchanges, long monologues and gut wrenching silence as, for one reason or another, a character goes five or six letters without writing back. This difference in pacing is extremely effective, and ensures that the audience does not feel any sort of stagnation.
Of course this pacing methodology would mean nothing if not brought out and explored by the performers, who both tackled their respective roles with gusto. Gardener, played by Mol, is a very highly spirited individual who is often finding herself in trouble and living loose. Ladd on the other hand, played by Scott, is an English major who is quickly established as a bit more rigid and only able to accurately speak his mind through writing. As their lives develop and life’s many joys and tragedies hit them through the years, both performers brought out their personality shifts and outbursts wonderfully while ensuring they remained true to their original selves.
Although Gardener finds herself weary and lost as her art career fades and addiction rears its ugly head, Mol preserves a hint of the character’s former free-spirited playfulness in her letters. Despite becoming a Senator, traveling abroad, and starting a family, Scott balanced Ladd’s rigid and stiff demeanor with moments of openness in some of Ladd’s longer and more heartfelt letters. With a play so exposed and minimalistic, it lives and dies with its performers, and Mol and Scott certainly gave it life.
“Love Letters” at the Sharon Playhouse was a one night only performance, though “Sylvia”, also by Gurney, is slated for performance at the Playhouse August 29 to Sept 7.
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Winter Weekend in Norfolk returns
Feb 19, 2025
Star Childs of Norfolk enjoys cross-country skiing on one of Norfolk’s many trails.
Wiley Wood
Winter WIN (Weekend In Norfolk) will take place again Feb. 22 to 23 with a wonderful mix of in-person and virtual events highlighting creative talent in Norfolk.
Highlights include food and drink specials at the Icebox Cafe and the Berkshire Country Store, nature walks, pickleball, art displays and lectures at the Norfolk Library, live Americana and world music on Saturday at the Norfolk HUB, chamber music by Yale students, a live Tango performance, dance classes, tours of historical structures, art exhibits, a book launch, a raffle, open houses at the Fire Department and the Sugar House, lectures, movies, and much more.
WIN committee member Sue Frisch said, “We’re so proud to be part of a town that unites to create a festival like this for everyone. Literally all of Norfolk volunteers to give everyone—visitors and each other—a good time and show them how great Norfolk is.”
New this year are a Mushroom Inoculation Workshop at Husky Meadows Farm,a special book launch celebrating “The Norfolk Library: History, Culture, Community,” the film, “The Jump,” Seattle Children’s Film Festival and selections from Disney including short movies for kids, and special discounts at Berkshire Country Store (doughnuts) and Icebox Cafe (chai). Also on offer are a pop-up bookstore, wildlife tracking walk, Pickleball, and more.
Old favorites include hiking, skiing, snowshoeing on Norfolk trails and fly-tying workshops. Ice- skating on the town rink will depend on the weather.
Norfolk and area residents can also look forward to summer WIN on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 1, 2, 3, 2025 (10th annual Weekend in Norfolk).
Most events are free; registration in advance is always recommended. For a full list of activities and information on how to register, please see the WIN website: weekendinnorfolk.org
Information can also be obtained at the Norfolk HUB at 2 Station Place in downtown Norfolk.
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