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Date: 8/29/2023
WILLIAMSBURG — David Mathers, a member of the Board of Selectmen since 2007, passed away July 21, a catastrophic loss for the community and town government. Residents and officials are still feeling the loss of a friend, coworker and fellow volunteer.
Town Administrator Nick Caccamo appreciated Mathers’ commitment to the town. In addition to 16 years on the Board of Selectmen, Mathers also sat on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Most recently, he served as co-chair of the Public Safety Complex Building Committee.
“David was great to work with,” Caccamo said. “As someone who served in that capacity, the Board of Selectmen, for as long as he did, I don’t think you’d do that without a real commitment to the community.”
A statement will be read in the Senate and House chambers noting Mathers’ service in Williamsburg.
“Our new [state] representative for the town, Lindsey Sabadosa, reached out last week, expressing her condolences, both her and Paul Mark, state senator of the district, about Dave’s passing,” Caccamo said. “They’d like to honor David at the Statehouse with a tribute in both the House and Senate. There’ll be a few paragraphs written about his life work that will be read in both sessions. Then it’s applied to special parchment and copies distributed to the family.”
Town officials contacted a number of residents who knew Mathers especially well, to help piece together the details of his work and life for the Statehouse reading. Caccamo wasn’t aware of a timeline for the reading on Beacon Hill.
Sabadosa offered special condolences. She recalled Mathers as a loving man of few words.
“David was a gentle, kind person with the unique talent of communicating a lot while saying very little,” Sabadosa said. “Everyone who met him knew two things about him straightaway: he loved his community and he loved his family. He was the epitome of a true public servant.”
Caccamo said town officials haven’t had much contact with Mathers’ widow. No official observances were planned. A local remembrance ceremony was scheduled for last Aug. 27, from 1-4 p.m., at the American Legion on Bridge Street.
Mathers was employed by National Grid as a mechanic for about 30 years. An old friend of his from that time, Peter Normandin, a Goshen resident, said Mathers was a conscientious employee that everyone turned to for assistance. The two shared a love for snowmobiling and auto racing.
“He was an incredibly smart man willing to help anyone out,” Normandin said. “He helped me personally and professional, unbelievably. He always wanted to help out in any way. He knew everything he was doing and was very good at his job.”
Caccamo found Mathers’ job experience as a fleet mechanic valuable for the town. Mathers was especially knowledgeable about maintenance of the town’s rolling stock and new vehicle purchases. Now, that work will be done by others.
A special caucus was approved by the Board of Selectmen and scheduled for Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. at the town offices. Caccamo said that will be the nominating platform for candidates for the open seat. An election will be scheduled six to eight weeks later, the delay necessary to print the ballots and other traditional election administration.
“David was a real town guy,” Caccamo said. “He knew a little bit of everything and understood the nuances of the community, and was certainly able to cast light on the historical context, the situations and just provide that first hand knowledge.”