A Deserving Tribute: DPW Headquarters Named in Honor of Dick Dimes

That was a wonderful tribute to Richard “Dick” Dimes Saturday as Winthrop residents turned out for the dedication ceremony for the Richard D. Dimes Public Services Facility on Kennedy Drive. Having a building in your town named after you is a tremendous honor and Dimes was certainly a fitting and deserving choice for this designation. Mr. Dimes  has been a vital part of this community for decades and it was nice to see him formally recognized for his many years of contributions and voluntary service to Winthrop. In particular, Dick fought literally for decades with a dogged determination to persuade his fellow townspeople to build a new DPW facility.

It also was great to turn back the clock a bit and see another Winthrop legend, former Council President Thomas Reilly, who served on the former Board of Selectmen with Dimes in the 1970s, perform as the master of ceremonies for his former colleague. Jonathan Dimes’s anecdotes and remarks about his father captured perfectly the public and private life of one of Winthrop’s most distinguished and longest-serving public officials.

Speaker Robert A. DeLeo was present for this important ceremony and he told of the great influence that Dimes had on his decision to seek public office, a path that has led him to his current position as one of the most powerful office holders in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Town Council President Peter Gill also saw first-hand the diligence and dedication that Mr. Dimes brought to every endeavor he undertook to benefit our townspeople. And you couldn’t find a better choice to articulate on Dick Dimes’s record of public service in the town than town historian David Hubbard.

With his beloved wife, Marge, sitting next to him in the front row, we concurred with the saying that behind every great man is a great woman.

Thank you, Mr. Dimes, for all you have done to enhance the quality of life in Winthrop and for giving so much of your time and energy to our town for decades.