Mike DiMauro: New playscape a fitting tribute to Kevin Hesch

Mike DiMauro, The Day, New London, Conn.
Updated ·4 min read

Apr. 24—STONINGTON — There are no words. Even now, more than a year later. Kevin Hesch was supposed to grow old with Heather and the five kids, all the Thanksgivings, Christmases, ballgames, recitals and graduations. He was supposed to continue as a professional man at Electric Boat, Little League volunteer. He wasn't supposed to die at 39.

But Kevin Hesch was driving his Volvo S60 southbound on Interstate 95 near Exit 91 on the morning of April 4, 2023. Traffic began to snarl because of road construction, the byproduct of which resulted in a Toyota Tundra striking the Volvo, which went into the wire rope guardrail and down an embankment in the center median.

Kevin Hesch was taken to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead 51 minutes after the crash.

There are no words.

But there is action. There is love. There is inspiration. The immortal words of Coretta Scott King: "The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."

The communities of Stonington and Pawcatuck never had a better day than this past Saturday, ribbon cutting day for the new playscape at the Little League complex dedicated in Kevin Hesch's memory. All the little kids having fun now get to rollick and frolic alongside the name of Kevin Hesch.

Hmmm. Maybe there are words here after all.

"When we found out the accident happened, my heart stopped. My brain short circuited," said Jim Flynn, a financial planner at Mainsail Capital Management in Mystic, T-Ball director of Stonington Little League. "I felt sick for the family. Xander is nine years old and now the oldest in the house. Then my heart broke for Heather, because she's such a sweetheart.

"A family with five kids stands out a little bit in this day and age. But they were always at the ballpark. Kevin was always down there. I know he's got a serious job but he was always available. When one of them had a game, they all came."

And yet from tragedy, there was ingenuity.

"In the summer, Heather and I would talk and she would mention how maybe we could honor Kevin. Maybe sponsoring a team or something," Flynn said. "I don't want to use the word underwhelming because that's insensitive, but it didn't seem big enough to me. When I mentioned a playscape, I could just tell by her reaction that, oh, that's the one she wanted."

What began in December was planned, paid for and finished by April, thanks to league president Tim Lebling, head groundskeeper Mark Bessette and the playscape subcommittee of Flynn, Kevin Beverly and Liz Santillo.

"I went home and started Googling the prices on this stuff," Flynn was saying, "and I was startled. We're doing pretty good financially, but wow. We already asked so much of our parents. But Heather's body language — she was so excited — I knew we had to pull this off. The community really rallied. It's like the community was ready for this."

But then, the community had been rallying around the Heschs for quite some time.

"It's been hard," Heather Hesch was saying with a cheerful tone and demeanor belying any sadness she might have been enduring. "The kids don't have their dad and I don't have my person. But we've been blessed. We are part of a wonderful community. Beautiful neighbors. Great school system. Family, friends ... it's so nice to be part of something bigger than yourself."

The life of the Hesch family forever changed April 4, 2023. Among the unintended consequences, though, was the strengthening of a communal bond Heather Hesch always knew was there, but became tangible through tragedy.

"Kevin was about fun. He was my fun," Heather Hesch said. "A million friends. Our initial wedding list had 500 people on it because he knew so many people. We even have a hashtag in honor of Kevin — #findthefun."

And now so many little kids will find the same fun on the playscape Kevin Hesch did every day of his life. His too abbreviated life.

"The committee, the community, everybody knocked it out of the park," Heather Hesch said. "It was a wonderful day to celebrate Kevin's life and celebrate the Little League family."

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro