Dozens of people gathered at the West River Community Center to say goodbye to Vice President of the Dickinson Parks and Recreation Board of Commissioners Howard Sharpe on Friday morning.
Sharpe served on the board on and off for the past 17 years, and has lived in Dickinson for more than 30 years.
Sharpe said that the most important thing he worked on during his tenure on the board was the West River Community Center.
"We failed a few times but eventually we got that thing built, and that is something that the whole community has got to be proud of," he said.
James Kramer, director of Dickinson's parks and recreation department, is very appreciative of Sharpe's work on the board and his passion to build the community center. He also noted that Sharpe was a big reason why the WRCC was successful.
"The thing that I will remember most (about Sharpe) is his passion to accomplish the community center project," Kramer said.
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But to Kramer, Sharpe's contributions to the WRCC was not the only thing that made him a valuable board member. On top of being a "tremendous advocate for employees and staff," Sharpe was an extremely "active and engaged board member," Kramer said.
Sharpe was not only active in board meetings, but also participated in day-to-day parks and recreation activities.
"Howard played softball and basketball and volleyball, and his kids participated in our events, and he was just really engaged in what we do," Kramer said.
Sharpe's high-level of engagement with the board stems from a strong dedication to the Dickinson community.
"Once you realize that you're here for the greater good and here to serve the people of Dickinson, everything else kind of falls into place," Sharpe said.
His respect for the Parks and Rec staff is another reason why he remained so involved. "The Parks and Rec staff that Dickinson has is second to none. They are passionate, they are professional, and the community should be proud," Sharpe said.
Though he is proud of his work on the Parks and Rec board, Sharpe said that as he moves to Fargo the thing he will miss most about living in Dickinson is "definitely the people."
"We lived in Dickinson for 36 years. I made my living there, my kids grew up there, and we've built a lot of lasting relationships and friendships" Sharpe said. "It's been a wonderful ride, we've enjoyed it immensely, and there's a lot of things we are going to miss."
