Birth June 14, 1941Ware, MADeath Dec. 17, 2024Northfield, VTDetails of serviceA celebration of life will occur at a later date. Contributions in his name may be made to Friends of Green River Reservoir. Connie passed away peacefully at his home in Northfield, Vermont on December 17, 2024. He was born June 14, 1941 in Ware, Massachusetts, to Rudolph Michael and Adeline (Dougal) Motyka. If asked where he was born, Connie enjoyed answering, “Ware” and would grin at the confusion this caused.He grew up in Three Rivers, Massachusetts, and attended Palmer High School. After graduating, Connie attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where he earned a degree in Forestry and met his wife of 57 years, Nancy (Dame) Motyka. He always said marrying Nancy was the best decision of his life. Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam in the special forces unit (Green Beret) where he was awarded a purple heart. Connie accepted a job with the State of Vermont Department of Forest Parks and Recreation in 1968. He had many positions at FPR in various offices throughout the State as he rose through the ranks. The pinnacle of his career was spent as commissioner of the department, and he took great pride in his contribution to preserving land for the state. He was most proud of his contributions in making Green River Reservoir become a state park and the procurement of the “Champion Lands” and its core the  West Mountain Wildlife management area.Connie loved his life and filled it with the things he enjoyed: sugaring, spending time in the woods fixing sap lines, cutting firewood and maintaining the forest. Connie was famous for getting a crew together to do woods work. The day would start with a huddle to get organized where all the appropriate accouterments were distributed and where he loved to share his own internal diagram of how to approach the task at hand. He was an avid cribbage player and a connoisseur of scotch. He loved spending time with family and friends including long time cribbage partner Peter Strobridge and family friends Phil and Sue Benedict.  He especially cherished planning and enjoying memorable family vacations. Connie always focused on supporting and bringing family together to create and share memories.  He and Nancy, along with friends the Rushbrooks and Paul Olander, started their sugaring business for that reason. He was always there to lend a helping hand whenever his children or grandchildren needed it, from house construction and other home projects to hosting milestone events at the property he loved. He enjoyed passing along his wisdom to the younger family members and always referred to this as the “intergenerational transfer.” He often said that a family that works and plays together stays together.  Connie is and will be missed greatly by his friends and family. He is survived by his wife Nancy Motyka and their four children and their families; Frank and Sharon (Motyka) Murtaugh and their children Sofia and Elena; Cary and Kristin (Motyka) Giguere and their children and families Colin and Erin (Giguere) Nohl and their son Lupin, Adrian and Keri (Giguere) Rodriguez and Fiona Giguere; Jason and Chris (Simpson) Motyka and their children Avery and Owen, and Kurt Motyka and his daughter Maia.Read the story on VTDigger here: Conrad Michael Motyka.