George L. “Gige” Darey 6/5/1928 – 12/21/2018 Conservation Advocate
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George L. Darey, 90, passed away peacefully from congestive heart failure at home in his native Lenox on Friday afternoon December 21, 2018. Born to the late John Darey and Francine Darey, Gige graduated, after some pranks, from Lenox Memorial High School, received a B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and two Masters degrees from the University of Massachusetts, in Biology and School Administration. Following graduation, he served in the Korean War. Thanks to a claimed major in Geology at induction, Gige met and began to work for a speed reading instructor in the Army, which led to a future in teaching.
Gige loved teaching high school: History and Social Studies at Mahar, in Orange, MA, Speed Reading and Study Skills at Wahconah in Dalton, MA. Being a lifelong outdoorsman, he started highly successful Fish and Game Clubs at each school. He began a Lenox summer reading program with eight students (mostly relatives), which quickly morphed into a summer program throughout New England for the Jesuits. After retiring from teaching in 1983, Gige spent 15 years as Facilities Manager at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, and then worked as an Outdoor Sports Guide at Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires.
Gige served Lenox for 33 years, as Tree Warden, as a member of the Conservation Commission, as high school cross-country ski coach, and as Selectman for 16 years. His proudest achievements at a Selectman were increasing the town’s reserve fund; improving the town’s water distribution system; and preventing a highway by-pass around Pittsfield which would have passed through Kennedy Park and Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.
Gige also served Massachusetts, on the state Fisheries and Wildlife Board for 38 years, 35 as Chairman. His proudest achievements during this tenure were the passage of the “presumption of openness” which guarantees open space purchased with state funds remain open to passive (non-motorized) recreation; funding the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program; the Biodiversity Initiative; the “Guns and Roses” coalition between sportsmen, environmental organizations and conservationists; the science based management of wildlife and wildlife habitat; and the ability of the Board to maintain a level price for licenses for more than 20 years. He always valued non-game issues as highly as game issues.
Gige was a founding member of the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation, Sportsmen for Land Preservation, the Housatonic River Initiative, the Save the River coalition, the Lenox Land Trust and the Josh Billings RunAground triathlon. He also served for many years on the boards of Berkshire Natural Resources Council and Green Berkshires. Among his numerous awards for environmental stewardship are those from Governor Paul Cellucci and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, he was honored by Mass. Fish & Wildlife in 2004 by the renaming of the 818 acre George L. Darey Wildlife Management Area and most recently this past October with the prestigious Francis W. Sargent Award for conservation. Throughout, Gige claimed all credit belonged to a much larger group of which he was only a small part. Gige was also named 1998 Ripton Man of the Year.
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