Gilbert A. Bliss, 81, former state Director of Forests and Parks, died at home from heart failure on July 29, 2013. He was the husband of the late Annette (George) Bliss.

Born at Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, Mass., Mr. Bliss grew up in the family home of many generations of Blisses in Warren, Mass., graduating from Warren High School in 1950, where he was a star baseball pitcher and captain of the basketball team. He chose a career in forestry, learning his trade at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, on the campus of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

He met his wife in New Hampshire, where both families owned land on North Pack Monadnock, and they were married in 1952 at ages 20 and 18, at All Saints Church in Peterborough, N.H. The couple lived in Warren while Mr. Bliss served stateside in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and their first child was born at an Army hospital.

He began his 34-year career with the Massachusetts Department of Natural Resources as a supervisor at Nickerson State Park in Orleans before being appointed service forester in Plymouth and then Hampshire counties. Mr. Bliss moved back into parks and recreation in the late 60s while living in Cummington, serving as regional supervisor for the western part of the state, based in Berkshire County. By then he had three children and his success in the field led to his being promoted to the Boston office as Chief of the Bureau of Recreation for the entire state, followed appointment to Director of Forests and Parks for what had become the Department of Environmental Management.

During his 12 year tenure as director, he was responsible for key land acquisitions throughout the state and was instrumental in development of Horseneck Beach State Reservation in Westport, Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, the Boston Harbor Islands State Park, an interpretive program in state parks, the Mounted Park Rangers program, development of the state skating rink system and innovative public/private partnerships with ski areas at Mount Greylock and Mount Wachusett.

At the time of his retirement, he was managing a $23 million dollar budget and the supervision of 500 full-time employees and 1,400 seasonal employees. His division managed more than 265,000 acres of state land and 173 facilities, including state forests, parks, campgrounds, swimming pools and skating rinks. He is credited with guiding the addition of thousands of acres to state holdings for land preservation under his watch. Upon his retirement in 1988, among honors from camping, hiking groups and his college alma mater, Mr. Bliss was honored with the naming of state land along the Westfield River in Chesterfield as the Gilbert A. Bliss State Forest.

This year he was honored with the 2013 President’s Award by the National Association of State Park Directors, which cited the “leadership and professionalism you contributed immeasurably to conservation and recreation in the state.” The award will be presented posthumously at Dubuque, Iowa, in September.

Mr. Bliss stayed active following his retirement, serving as a land use consultant, specializing in parks and recreation, contributing significantly to projects in the United States and Canada. He used his expertise to serve the town of Middleboro on the Open Space Committee, continuing a lifelong interest. He and his wife moved their children across the state with his various jobs, beginning in Brewster, then Hatfield and Cummington, finally settling in Middleboro in 1970, where their youngest child was born in 1972.

Mr. Bliss had many interests, including sports, gardening, music and the arts. The family operated an herb business for a time from their South Middleboro home and he enjoyed spending time in the summer at his cabin on the side of North Pack Monadnock in Greenfield, N.H. His early baseball success in high school led to a stint as a right-handed pitcher for the Brewster town team in the Cape Cod League and he remained an avid Red Sox fan his entire life.

Mr. Bliss was large in stature and gentle in nature, displaying a welcoming style that caused many over the years to seek him out for counsel and assistance, which was always generously offered. This trait flourished in his later life, as he brought his leadership and humanitarian skills to become a key figure in the local Alcoholics Anonymous groups, earning a 25-year coin and serving as a bulwark of support for countless members during a quarter-century.

Mr. Bliss is survived by one daughter, Cynthia J. Bliss of Middleboro, and her companion David Tassinari of Avon; three sons, Gilbert W. and his wife Margaret of Greenfield, N.H., Donald G. and his wife Lori of East Freetown, Mason L. and his wife Jennifer, of Middleboro; two grandchildren, Melissa Van Ruiten of Lancaster and Ilia Bliss of Middleboro and two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his dear friend Betsy Wimperis of Carver.

He was pre-deceased by an infant son, Charles E. Bliss. Calling hours will be held from 4-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2 at the Ashley Funeral Home, 24 Oak St., Middleboro. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday Aug. 3 at the East Freetown Congregational-Christian Church, 4 Washburn Road, East Freetown, officiated by Pastor Don Bliss. Burial will be private at a later date in Greenvale Cemetery, Greenfield, N.H.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that his long time interest in land conservation be honored by donations in his name to the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, 1471 Old Keene Road, Athol, Mass., 01331.