Wakefield Reflects
On Long Career
By Martha Slater

David and Lois Wakefield at their Weston Street home. (Herald / Tim Calabro)

Dave Wakefield says that the best thing and the worst thing about working for himself were the same thing.

"You only had to work half a day. Of course, then you had to decide which 12 hours you wanted to work!"

Wakefield presumably has more time to loaf now that he’s retired after selling his business, Wakefield Sales & Service, which he operated on Weston St. for over 30 years. The new owner, Chip Milnor, who bought the business September 5, has recently re-opened it as Chip’s Auto & Tire.

Born July 7, 1937 in Randolph, Wakefield graduated from the St. Johnsbury Trade School. In September 1955, while he was still a student there, he began working through a co-op program for George Allen on South Pleasant St., where Fullam’s Garage is located now.

He later worked for Tom’s Firestone on Salisbury St., Ray Dodge Auto Sales on Main St., and Wayne Allen on South Pleasant St., before going into business for himself on Weston St.

Wakefield, and his wife, Lois, who were married in 1957, have also made their home on Weston St., across the street from the garage, since November of that year.

"When I had the business, I used to say I got my exercise by walking to work every day!" he says with a grin.

Wakefield’s Sales and Service was a two-bay, two-man garage, with just the owner and one employee.

"God gave me a talent," Wakefield said. "I can usually look at a piece of machinery and tell how it runs."

"When I started out, I decided not to take credit cards and I never did," he added. "I did have some house accounts and I got stuck with a few bad checks over the years."

How has Randolph changed since he began his career?

"Well, I think the biggest change is that the town is growing up to brush," Wakefield observed. "We used to have a lot of open fields around, but now you can’t see the views you used to. I also think the town is buying and owning too much land—socializing it one and two acres at a time."

A big fan of numbers, Wakefield likes to point out that, "I turned 70 on 07-07-07."

The Wakefields have three grown children. Their oldest, Michael, lives in Middlebury with his wife, Linda, and their sons, Ryan and Justin. The Wakefield’s daughter, Donna, lives in Westford, Mass. with her five-year-old twins, Nathan and Allison. The youngest son, Norman, lives in White, Ga. with his wife, Barbara, and their son, Andrew.

Although her husband has retired, Lois Wakefield still works at the Randolph National Bank.

"I say she can’t retire because I’ve always wanted to be a go-getter, and now when she gets out of work, I go get her," joked Wakefield, always quick with a quip.

"The best advice I got about working for the public was at the beginning of my career," Wakefield concluded. "Say or do something when you first meet someone that they won’t forget. I did it and it worked. I also learned that the customer is not always right. I’d hate to think I was in a line of work where I was wrong all the time!"

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