David C. Bisbee

PRINCETON - David Clark Bisbee, 66, passed away peacefully on April 26, 2024, in his home. His passing followed a year-long battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma. He was a loving husband and father whose quiet manner gave way to infectious laughter, endless stories, and deep connections with those who knew him best.

Dave was born on October 10, 1957 in Chesterfield, MA to William "Bill" and Norma (Bourne) Bisbee. During his youth, he worked on the family dairy farm and developed a lifelong love of maple sugaring, riding motorcycles, and working outside. He graduated from Hampshire Regional High School in 1975 and earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Lowell in 1979. He went on to work as an electrical engineer for 44 years, including 26 years at EMC2, where he patented several designs for circuit boards.

Dave's life path was set when he met Vivian while working at GCA Corporation in 1984. They were married in 1986 and their first daughter, Laura, was born a year later. Their second daughter, Mary, was born in 1990, and in 1995 the family moved from Hopkinton, NH, to their home in Princeton, MA. He was devoted to his family and loved spending time with and supporting his girls in all their hobbies and interests.

In Princeton, Dave was able to dedicate himself to his passions. He immediately set up a small maple sugaring operation on the property. Ever the engineer, he applied his skills to make his operation more efficient and high-tech after his unpaid labor (his children) moved out of the house. He designed a programmable diaphragm pump controller for sap, nicknamed the "Super Sap Sucker" by his loving family, and sold it to dozens of small maple producers in the United States and Canada. In his later years, he and Viv traveled to maple shows in various states including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, where he gave presentations about his innovations. In 2022, he entered his dark amber maple syrup into a competition at the International Maple Producers Conference, where it won awards in its category as well as overall Best in Show.

Dave's other great love was motorcycles. He and his brother Dan, a fellow aficionado, took many bike trips, including traveling cross country from Dan's home in Washington State to Dave's home in Massachusetts. Other destinations included Ontario, the Adirondacks, and the Gaspe Peninsula. They also traveled to races in Indianapolis, Austin, and the Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas.

Dave was an active member of Heritage Bible Chapel in Princeton. He enjoyed volunteering with Straight Ahead Ministries, a Christian outreach program to local at-risk youth. He also served as the president of the Bisbee Mill Museum in Chesterfield, where he devoted time to maintaining and organizing the building, and personally overseeing the maple sugaring display. He and Viv also served for 20 years as the family genealogists for the Clark-Williams Family Reunion, with Dave researching and maintaining elaborate family trees and writing the annual family newsletter.

After long days at the office or tinkering around the house and yard, Dave would unwind by watching his beloved sports teams, the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics. He also found time for weekly poker nights with the Princeton Poker Club.

Dave is survived by his wife of 37 years, Vivian Forcier Bisbee; his two children, Laura Bisbee Condega and husband Wilberth Condega Ortiz of Springfield, MA, and Mary Bradford Bisbee of Woburn, MA; his sister, Donna J. Bisbee of Portland, ME, and his brother Daniel C. Bisbee of Chesterfield, MA; his grandson B. Alejandro Condega Bisbee (age 3), and a future grandchild due in June. He also leaves behind four nieces and nephews: Montana, Jackson, Dean, and Caledonia.

Visitation with the family will be held from 4 to 7 pm on Thursday, May 2nd at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden. A celebration of life will be held at 11 am on Saturday, May 18, at the First Congregational Church of Chesterfield, 43 Main Rd., Chesterfield, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Chesterfield Historical Society, PO Box 85, Chesterfield, MA, 01012. These will be used to support improvements and programming at the Bisbee Mill Museum.

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