This past weekend the five town community of Bristol, Lincoln, Monkton, New Haven and Starksboro crowned their Five Town Little League champion. Despite a season that almost wasn’t, it was great to hear, see and smell the game of baseball on a perfect summer night under the lights. However, there was one large presence missing — Alan Curler. Alan was a fixture in our local Addison County Little League community for over 25 years, having served as Mt. Abe Little League President from 2003 to 2020. Alan passed away on Jan. 20.
Our program would not be what it is today without the guidance and efforts of Alan over the years. Yes, he did the organizational duties locally and coordinated with the state Little League board, but he did so much more. From running meetings annually, to fundraising, shopping for provisions in the Snack Shack, to flipping burgers, coaching and umping. On occasion he was known to go right from manning the grill to umping behind the plate when needed.
Alan’s legacy in our community is tremendous. In honor of Alan we have named our annual playoffs “The Curler Cup.” We will award a trophy dedicated to him to the annual league championship team, with each player receiving a smaller trophy engraved with “The Curler Cup” moniker.
Before the championship game on Friday night, the evening was dedicated in honor of Alan and his family. A plaque commemorating Alan and his service to Mt. Abe Little League was presented to Alan’s wife Betsy Curler, along with her daughter, Heather, son Jesse, and Alan’s brothers Peter, John and Ken. Heather honored the crowd by throwing out the first pitch. Although concerned about not getting it to the plate, she threw a strike in true Curler fashion.
Alan was pivotal in creating a culture of inclusion and fairness within our local community. The kids learned a bit of baseball over the years, but more importantly, they have all learned lessons about life and how to be better teammates, competitors, and people. Alan was a huge part of this, and this is his real legacy.
Being the person Alan was, he couldn’t just stop at the ball field. He poured his energy and giving nature into everything he touched. His list of achievements and involvement kind of makes you want to get off the couch right now! Here is a list that we know of:
•  Mt. Abe Little League: 20 years
•  4-H: 20 years at the 4-H Field Days food booth
•  VT FFA Foundation Treasurer: 20 years
•  VT Farm Show (Mr. Farm Show)
•  VT Dairy Industry Association: Treasurer
•  VTC Alumni Association: 25 years/former President/Treasurer
•  New Haven Scout Master
•  Eastern States Expositions Trustee: 20 years
•  New Haven Congregational Church: Trustee
•  Sodbusters Horseshoe Club: Member
Recently the town of New Haven dedicated the town report to Alan. State Rep. Harvey Smith has drafted a letter of resolution to be read for the State Legislation.
To the Curler family, and particularly Betsy, thank you for sharing Alan with us for so many years. We will all miss him greatly in many ways. We would love to see you in the stands during a nice summer evening enjoying the sounds and smell of baseball and appreciating the environment that Alan helped create within our community.
With Profound Gratitude,
Mt. Abe Little League Board
Jeff Sturtevant – Bristol; Josiah Jackson – Lincoln; Kristin Blanchette – Monkton; Kevin Masse – New Haven; Jason Barnard – Starksboro; and Randy Barnes – President