Ken Squier was a hell of a nice Vermonter.
Sure, he was a broadcasting icon for his work covering auto racing. Yes, yes, he started Thunder Road. It’s true, he owned one of the most popular radio stations in the state — a dinosaur of the times.
For all his success and celebrity, the awards and the kudos, Kenley Dean Squier was “every Vermonter.”
You can’t say that about many people in this state. Ken was one of a kind. There are politicians who rise to the moniker of “household name” here. Ken was no politician. He wouldn’t have wanted to be one, truth be known. He said what he wanted (both on the air and off it); and he was not afraid of having an opinion and sharing it. But what made Ken unique — and a hell of a nice guy — was that he went out of his way to ask you questions about yourself, tease information out of you, find out what made you tick. He always had advice at the ready. There are lessons in every moment, if you are Ken Squier.
Even when he disagreed with you, the fact that you had entered his life was important to him. You were part of a network of individuals who enriched him, and he hoped he was just as valuable to you.
Ken was a “character” in the true sense of the word. A novelist (or cartoonist) could not have come up with a better persona. He was tall and lanky. He was articulate and quirky. He had phrases and sayings that were incomprehensible to most of us, but gave him a folksy appeal. Vermont took out the trash (and recycling, of course) many Saturday mornings for years with Jack Donovan and Ken (and a cadre of guest hosts) for “Music To Go To The Dump By.” Ken told stories, jokes and played music you otherwise would not have heard anywhere else on the dial. He recited poetry (sometimes by heart, rarely Tennyson) and he provided his Ken Squier-esque narrative on, well, most topics. But you could be damn sure it had something to do with Vermont or had an impact on his listening audience.
Ken was generous with his time; he was a talker. Friends and colleagues will tell you he was tight with his wallet. He had no love for cats; he was a dog person and would let you know at every turn (especially if there was a dog there). He had a lead foot (he owned a racetrack, after all) but a soft heart. He had friends everywhere he went, whether it was around Vermont or at tracks (or really anywhere, folks say) in the country. Ken had stories about everyone (some he was willing to repeat and some he was not so willing to share).
To him, life was about connections and community. It was about appreciating people — not just for who they were, but where they came from and how they contributed to the world. To Ken, everyone had potential, and every person was worthy of an opportunity.
On a call-in tribute to Squier on Thursday morning on his beloved WDEV, caller after caller shared stories and anecdotes of Ken’s generosity of spirit, as well as offering a helping hand — often to those struggling to get their footing in their early careers.
Other callers were so appreciative of the opportunities afforded to them by Ken, often getting them into the door to the world of broadcasting. On X (formerly Twitter), NASCAR household names were praising Squier on Thursday for reinvigorating and redefining the sport of auto racing. It would not be what it is today were it not for Ken Squier, they said.
Even a gruff or annoyed Ken was quickly followed by that signature toothy smile and a pat on the back or a “twinkle in his eye.” Lessons could be learned, and differences could be resolved as long as both parties parted ways as friends.
That is a hell of a nice way to live life. It had to be fun, too.
Ken was funny, sometimes out of place and out of pace with the times. His grasp of the language and his ability to share a story made him a great asset behind a microphone. He was also self-deprecating when he “stepped in it” or misspoke — a trait many people lack these days.
Ken used WDEV (known commonly as Radio Vermont) — and its smorgasbord format — to remind Vermonters of who they are. As radio stations have modernized, streamlined, and slid into using more “tracks” and voiceovers, Ken insisted the station’s format keep its charm. Vermonters want to hear from Vermonters. He wanted — for the most part — content to be live, goofs and gaffes and all. He wanted relatable voices on the air, even if that was former governors or newspaper editors guest hosting talk shows. He encouraged programming that attracted the state’s progressives and the “left,” as well as programming that would appeal to the state’s right-wing.
He wanted local sports. He wanted local interviews. He wanted local news. Ken was a one-of-a-kind person who used his one-of-a-kind radio station to represent Vermont’s uniqueness in its entirety.
That is a testament to community building and celebrating traditions that get lost in the fast pace of our times.
Ken Squier made a hell of a nice contribution to Vermont. It was nice that he touched so many of our lives so profoundly.
