By Daniel B. Totten

Legend, icon, hero. These are words that Richard "Dicky" Duchaney probably would have bristled at if they were used to describe him while still here among us.

Had he a say, a simple "coach" or to be known as a mentor and friend would be quite enough for this self-sacrificing man. In turn he may have given back a quick "thanks" and been on his merry way towards yet another sports practice, game, or event, all the while regaling those he met along the way with another humorous but insightful anecdote.

Dicky Duchaney passed away in 2001 of ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. How ironic that this man who gave his heart, soul, passion, and pride to youth sports in Neponset, would contract the same disease as one of the world's greatest sporting legends.

Fittingly, there is a committee and tireless effort afoot to raise funds for the purchase of a commemorative clock with a personalized brick base at the rotary of Neponset Ave. and Gallivan Boulevard.

Committee members say they are little more than halfway towards their goal of raising $20,000. Former players, and friends comprise the committee and they are now having a "Buy a Brick" program, where for $100 brick-buyers can personalize their appreciation. Dicky's friends and former players remember his sense of humor, moral compass, and not simply the coaching of a sport, but properly teaching the rules, nuances and intricacies of baseball, basketball, football and - most importantly -life.

Life is something that Dicky knew well. He lived it fully with a zest and verve that spoke volumes about his appreciation and love of children, sports, and the human condition. It can be said that Dicky Duchaney loved a good laugh and loved good friends, for he had many.

Duchaney founded the Neponset Little league, known as the "Prep" league and coached in it for over 50 years. The Prep league at Garvey Park is now in its 53rd year. Carrying the torch and running the league since Dicky's passing, is Corrine Ball, whom Dicky, in his final days, asked personally to lead the league.

Ball shared fond memories, mentioning that Duchaney had been the "unofficial" physical education teacher at St. Anne's while she was there. She called him well ahead of his time; ever the gentleman and believer in doing the right thing, it was important to Dicky that the girls played sports too and were involved, and he made sure of it.

Phil Carver, a former player who like legion of others became a friend into adulthood, offered, "Dicky didn't have one life, he had 10 lives."

"He saw a need and he would simply react," Carver said, recalling Dicky's no nonsense attitude as "Don't blow smoke at me, just tell me the way it is."

Charlie Carmody, another friend and former player, said Duchaney volunteered at the Old Soldiers home in Chelsea and, irony prevailing, he spent his waning months there.

Duchaney coached his 1960 St. Ann's baseball team to the CYO state championship. Word spread of his love for sports and children and soon he found himself international, spreading his love of sports, kind spirit and humor throughout the world, to Germany, Sweden, Iceland, as well as domestically to places such as Oklahoma.

Carmody shared that Dicky left him an "Imitation of Christ" prayer book and the most special part of it was that Dicky had handwritten notes on the pages, stating where he was when he read the prayer. Often his notes mentioned the places that his coaching and teaching took him.

Greg Wayland, an NECN reporter among the legion of former players turned adulthood pal, recalled that "Keep on smiling" was always the parting message whenever Dicky would write a letter or note to friends.

Another former player turned friend, Johnny Curran, remembered his former coach as a "guy who was always there for us no matter what."

"He always had his car filled with bats and balls and if he spotted you hanging on a corner he had a fun way to get you busy in a hurry," Curran remembered.

In his day job as MDC police officer, Mr. Duchaney served many roles, from traffic cop to horseback patrol stationed at Houghton's Pond in Milton.

"Traffic cop was probably the worst possible place to put a guy like Dicky" said Wayland. "He loved people and thrived on the human interaction."

Once the funds have been raised, Duchaney's admirers hope, the clock will serve as a daily reminder of the timeless treasure of Dicky Duchaney.

Anyone interested in contributing to the Commemorative Clock and Buy-a-Brick program should contact Billy Puddister at Member Plus Credit Union in Adams Corner: 617-265-6967.