Skip Viglirolo is not just a name - he is a friend, coach, mentor, leader, steward, supporter and not only our father, but a father to the Town of Belmont. An integral part of our community, he devoted five decades of his life to serving Belmont—maintaining our parks, fields, pool, tennis and basketball courts and our beloved skating rink. Perhaps most notably, he was our town's hockey coach for 25 years, passing on his passion for the sport to hundreds of Belmont's youth.

James Patrick "Skip" Viglirolo was born and raised in Belmont alongside his 7 brothers and sisters and has remained in the town for 94 years — a true life-long "Belmontian". As a young man, he was an incredible athlete — playing all sports from baseball (pitcher) to football (quarterback) to his main sport, hockey where he played center as captain. As he continued playing, he played hockey for Northeastern and Suffolk and went on to play on the 1959 US National team, playing against the Soviet Union Army teams in the height of the Cold War.

Skip was a respected supervisor of the Parks and Recreation department for Belmont for his entire career.  Along with coaching the BHS boy's hockey teams and volunteering for Belmont Youth Hockey, he was instrumental in the creation of the Belmont Recreation Women’s Hockey Program along with being a founding volunteer for the Belmont Camp Willow Program, now known as Belmont SPORT.  In addition to promoting access to skating, he implemented a flooding process during the winter months to create ice surfaces at the tennis courts around town and area next to the Underwood Pool.

His dedication to Belmont and sports was, and still remains, relentless.

In 1998, in recognition of his years of leadership and support of the Belmont Community, the Belmont Select Board chose to change the Belmont Municipal Rink to the James P. "Skip" Viglirolo.

Now as the town embarks on the rebuilding of our skating rink, there are plans to remove Skip's name — a decision that feels like an attempt to erase his indelible contributions to our community.

Appealing to those who hold the power to make this decision, we implore you to keep Belmont's skating rink named for Skip Viglirolo. Through this, we wish to honor Skip for his incredible service and allow his legacy to inspire future generations who lace up their skates and take to the rink. We look to all of you, to demonstrate to the younger members of our community that community service, honest work, pride, dedication and devotion to your hometown doesn't need to go unrecognized.

Please keep Skip Viglirolo's legacy alive in our community — Save The Skip!

James P. "Skip" Viglirolo Accolades

• Lifelong resident of Belmont
• Varsity and Assistant Varsity Hockey Coach, Belmont High School
• Volunteer for Belmont Youth Hockey Programs
• Instrumental in the creation of the Belmont Recreation Women's Hockey Program being the first coach and mentor for the league
• One of the founding volunteers for Belmont's Camp Willow Program, which has eclipsed into today's Belmont SPORT
• Town of Belmont Retired Employee
• Implemented a process to provide access to public skating town-wide by utilizing the existing tennis courts at each of the Town's playgrounds and the overflow area of the Underwood Pool, with night time 'flooding' to create an ice surface
• Member of the Belmont High School Hall of Fame
• Member of the Massachusetts High School Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame
• United States National Hockey Team member; represented United States in 1959, by playing five hockey games in Moscow against the Soviet Union Army teams in the height of the Cold War
• Massachusetts Hockey Player, 1963-1972
• New England Hockey Player, 1963-1972
• Korean War Veteran
• Father of 4 children who all graduated from BHS (1 was Varsity Hockey Player). Grandfather of 7, 5 graduated from BHS (3 were Varsity Hockey Players), 1 is a Junior goalie for BHS Varsity Hockey Team. Great Grandfather of 2.