Town honors former city councilor

By Katelyn Gendron-List, Staff Writer

AGAWAM One can hardly know how their life's journey will be remembered by others once they are gone. However for Peggy Servis, widow of the late Kent Servis, former Agawam city councilor and beloved member of the Agawam community, she believes that her husband is still with her and will be able to see the memorial dedicated in his honor.

On June 24 at 10:30 a.m., Richard Cohen, mayor of Agawam will dedicate a placard imbedded in a stone between the School Street and Simpson Circle section of the bike path, in order to honor Servis and all that he accomplished for his city.

"I hope that all who knew Kent will come and join us to remember him," Cohen said. "He was an individual that cared greatly about the Agawam community."

Servis was born on July 23, 1947 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was raised in the Forest Park section of Springfield. He went on to graduate from Classical High School and American International College. He married his wife Peggy in 1975 and they had two children, Colleen and Todd. In his professional life, Servis was a teacher in Springfield before becoming a city councilman.

According to Peggy Servis, her husband was in love with the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing, which is why they decided to move to Agawam in 1979. Servis was so enthralled with the outdoors that he began to write outdoor sports columns for the "Agawam Advertiser" and "Northeast Woods and Waters."

"I went fishing everywhere with him," Joe Mineo, Agawam city council member and close personal friend of Servis said. "We'd go shore fishing and take the boat out on the ocean fishing. One time he even called me up to tell me that he left something in my driveway and it was a fifty pound fish."

Servis even tried to lure other friends out onto his boat in order to appreciate all that nature in New England had to offer no matter how resistant they were, according to Dennis Perry, Agawam city councilmen and another friend of Servis.

"He tried like crazy to get me on his boat," Perry said. "He always said that life was better out on the lake."

Servis's love for the city of Agawam did not conclude with its beautiful landscapes. In 1993 he decided that he would run for the Agawam Board of Selectmen. Servis lost that year, however that did not deter him from his ultimate goal to serve the Agawam community, according to Peggy Servis. Her husband was elected to the Agawam Board of Selectmen in 1995 and was later elected Board of Selectment President in 1997.

"Of all the councilors I ever served with Kent was so bright and intelligent," Mineo said. "He knew all the codes. He knew everything. People just don't know how brilliant he really was."

In 1997, Servis ran for mayor of Agawam against Chris Johnson but was defeated by 4% of the vote, according to Mineo.

"When he ran for mayor I was his campaign manager," Mineo said. "I was absolutely devastated when he lost."

However, according to Peggy Servis her husband continued to keep up with local politics and all of the town meetings.

"He was at every coffee shop in town talking to people about what was going on in the town," Servis said.

In 1999, Servis ran for City Council again and was elected for his second term.

According to Peggy Servis, her husband died at home of a massive stroke on July 27, 2000.

"It was a huge shock both personally and professionally when he died," Perry said. "Losing someone close to you is hard enough but when it happens overnight it's just a huge shock."

Perry went on to add that even after his friend's death, he would look at town issues while at City Council meetings and become choked up while asking himself, "What would Kent do?"

During his tenure as a city official, Servis was dedicated to various projects throughout the city. He was working to get the Boys and Girls Club of America to come to Agawam, and he worked on the expansion of the public sewer system in Feeding Hills. Servis also served on the City Council's School Budget Committee, the Street Acceptance Committee, and the Utilities Committee. As an avid outdoorsman Servis was also dedicated to creating the bike path that is currently in use today.

"It's really proper that the placard dedicated to him is on the bike path because he was really instrumental in getting it started," Servis said. "I think that he knows, and that he would be honored to have it there. He'd be so happy to know that his grandkids could go down there and ride their bikes on the path and be able to see the placard."

Servis went on to add that she frequents the bike path in order to pay homage to her husband because she feels more connected with him there than at the cemetery.

"I really don't like cemeteries, I go twice a year, but I really like going to the bike path," she said.

For Peggy Servis the love that she had for her husband remains uncompromised, as the memory of him and all that he achieved for Agawam has never faded within her memory.

"I loved him and I miss him." Peggy Servis said. "He really wanted to help people and to be a part of this town."