By Jennifer Hoegg
The Hants Journal/NovaNewsNow.com
Windsor’s flag flutters at half-mast today as the community mourns the passing of its Pumpkin King. Howard Dill, 73, passed away May 20 as the result of inoperable liver cancer.
Since winning the International Pumpkin Association weigh-off in 1979, Dill has been a world-renowned grower of giant gourds. Howard Dill Enterprises, run from the family farm in Windsor, distributes pumpkin seeds -- including Dill’s Atlantic Giant -- worldwide.
Dill Atlantic Giant seeds helped spread the giant pumpkin craze worldwide, with the 2007 world champion weighing in at 1,689 pounds and Jeff Reid of Waterville’s Atlantic champ weighing in at 1,202 pounds.
Hockey was Dill’s other passion, and Long Pond on his farm is the basis for Windsor’s claim to the title “Birthplace of Hockey.” Dill’s collection of hockey memorabilia thrilled many visitors to the Dill Farm over the years.
Mayor Anna Allen, who counted Dill as a friend, said Wednesday he will be missed by many in Windsor and beyond. “He put us on the map in a big way -- not just nationally but internationally.”
Dill should be remembered for much more than his passions for pumpkins and hockey. Town community development, tourism and recreation director and family friend VanEssa Roberts said, “we always think about Howard Dill the pumpkin king, but he’s a husband, a dad, a grandfather, an uncle and a friend. He had a very kind heart and a generous spirit.”
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