We are deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved volunteer Jim Trocchi. Jim volunteered at the Historical Society for over 30 years and helped with almost everything we do over the course of his time here—from archeology to writing, from staffing the front desk to leading school groups. It would be impossible to name all the things he did for us, but an indicative example was his guardianship of our replica of the Windsor Locks Canal.

For years, Jim was the unofficial keeper of the locks. Whenever we wanted to demonstrate the replica to the public, we called Jim. A few weeks before the program, Jim would begin to clean and test the locks system. He would check it for rust, grease the hinges, inspect the seals, and run a hose to fill the tank with just enough water to test the pump. Last year, during his test, he found that the pump was broken. So Jim took out the pump and spent countless hours over the next two weeks fiddling with the mechanism, re-installing it, and re-testing it. Eventually, he decided that pump was a lost cause. Without telling anyone, he went and bought a new one—a donation to the Society.

Jim Trocchi showing kids how the Windsor Locks canal model works.

Jim Trocchi showing kids how the Windsor Locks canal model works.

When the kids came to see the locks, he carefully and clearly showed them how the system worked. He let the ones who seemed trustworthy open the descending lock doors and the ones with the most enthusiasm push the toy boat through if it got stuck. He told them about the history of the locks system and encouraged them to check out the trail that runs parallel to the remaining canal today (Jim loved hiking). The demonstration would last 10-15 minutes. The kids would leave, eyes glittering and excited, and continue to the next part of their trip. Sometimes he would run the system for just one group, sometimes for three or four. It was always a highlight of their visit.

At the end of the day, when the kids had left, I would make sure to go over to Jim to say “thank you.” Jim would smile this shy little smile, chuckle, and say, “Oh, it’s nothing.” But, of course, it wasn’t nothing. The kids would never know how many hours he put into his demonstration, but I did. It was clear to anyone who
watched how much care and pride Jim took in his work. It was also clear that when Jim said “it’s nothing,” he didn’t mean that the act was meaningless, rather that he saw it as ordinary. All that time and effort was simply a reflection of the care that Jim believed should go into all things worth doing – particularly the things he loved. To do less would have been unthinkable.

Jim loved Windsor Historical Society. Jim loved Windsor. Jim loved sharing the things he loved with anyone who was interested. And we loved him.

By Heather Lodge, program manager, 2025