| APRIL 23, 2010 -- It's not un common for Richard Dauphinais to approach a friend and say he's got an idea.
That usually means Dauphinais has hatched yet another plan to assist the needy or someone down on their luck. For Dauphinais, helping others has been a way of life for years.
"I don't turn my back on my neighbors or my community," Dauphinais said Thursday at the Litchfield Grange hall, where he received the Grange's Citizen of the Year award. "You have to be proud of your community and be there for its people." The award was presented by Grange Master Richard Healy, who described Dauphinais as a pillar of the town.
"Litchfield is truly fortunate to have you and fortunate that you are willing to give so much of yourself," Healy said. Healy, the town's former fire marshal, and Dauphinais, a former burning official, often crossed paths in their roles. Dauphinais did a good job, Healy said, mostly be cause he treated residents seeking burning permits equally and fairly.
Dauphinais has been a prolific volunteer, serving as a fire fighter for the Litchfield Fire Company and collecting food and raising money for the Community Soup Kitchen of Torrington. He's helped establish bottle and can recycling centers in town and was chairman of the now-defunct Litchfield Chapter of the American Red Cross.
An avid gardener, Dauphinais gives away much of what he grows, to people and organizations who need it more. He's also been involved in municipal government, serving on the boards of selectmen and finance and the economic development commission.
Last year Dauphinais's volunteer activities came a halt temporarily when he under went major abdominal surgery. Recovering from the surgery and complications that set in, he said, wouldn't have been possible without the support of his wife of 40 years, Liz.
"Without her love, I don't know if I would've made it," Dauphinais said. "Love is so important, maybe more so today than ever."
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