File photo/John Love Charles Horgan at his final Town Meeting as Town Moderator in 2007.

AYER -- As it prepares for a Special Town Meeting tomorrow to decide the fate of a regional Ayer-Shirley school district, the town is also mourning the death of former 27-year Town Moderator Charles "Chuck" Horgan.

Horgan, who had a sterling reputation for adhering to parliamentary procedure at town meetings, died Tuesday, March 2, after a lengthy illness at Nashoba Valley Medical Center. He was 83 years old.

Horgan's last Town Meeting as moderator was in Feb. 10, 2007, which was also declared by then Selectmen Chairman Frank Maxant as "Charles Horgan Day." Horgan was presented a framed Norman Rockwell print of the iconic painting "Freedom of Speech," depicting a citizen speaking his piece at a typical New England town meeting.

Maxant appeared before the selectmen Tuesday night and recalled Horgan's generosity over the years as the owner of Ayer Oil Co.

"Throughout the years, many families were kept warm who couldn't afford to pay. He was very generous about his billing. That typifies Ayer businesses working together," said Maxant.

"He served the town in a lot of different ways," noted Ayer Fire Chief Robert Pedrazzi. On Tuesday, Pedrazzi recalled the year he joined the department as a call firefighter in 1977. Horgan had already been a call firefighter for several years.

"I have good memories of him, a real good guy," he said, before talking about Horgan's vigor and enthusiasm about being a member of the Ayer Fire Department.

Horgan

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was a World War II US Navy veteran, having served two years in the South Pacific. In recognition of his service, Horgan was tapped to serve as the Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshall on May 26, 2007. He kept his comments brief that day while standing before Ayer Town Hall, "Thank you. God love you and thanks again."

Horgan ushered Ayer through its first-ever Fall Town Meeting in October 2003. Horgan was elected to serve as the town moderator from 1980 through his 2007 retirement.

Horgan's last official act before retiring from the moderator seat occurred in April 2007 with the appointment of School Committee representatives Cheryl Simmons, Ted Januskiewicz and Tom Casey to serve on the Ayer School Regionalization Study Committee. Those three remain aboard the project today as it heads to a simultaneous Ayer and Shirley vote at Ayer Middle High School at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Meanwhile, a funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, at St. Mary Church in Ayer, followed by an interment service in the parish cemetery. Horgan and his wife of 58 years, Claire, had six daughters and three sons. After his retirement from Ayer Oil in 1995, son Kevin Horgan assumed the reins on his father's business, known previously as Ayer Ice & Coal Co.

Chairman Cornelius "Connie" Sullivan added Tuesday night that Horgan is forever woven into "fabric of our community and very well-loved."