WOODSTOCK, N.Y. -- No matter how people remember Jeremy Wilber, there's no doubting that he had an impact on everyone he met.
"Just a great individual, great guy, who just gave so much to this town," said Gary Chetkof, owner of Radio Woodstock.
A pillar of the Woodstock community, many gathered to remember the former town supervisor, who lost his battle to cancer on New Year's Day.
"Jeremy was the spirit of Woodstock," said Assemblyman Kevin Cahill. "Everything he stood for then is what made people attracted to his place. Everything that keeps them here is the same sort of depth he brought to the job he did and the people that he met every single day."
It's no wonder Wilber is Woodstock's longest serving supervisor.
A so-called "renaissance man," the former supervisor always kept busy. That includes coaching the Woodstock little league team.
"His impact on this community and all the youth and Blue Jays in particular was tremendous," recalled Bob Nuzzo. "He saw the value in every child, he gave those children opportunities to succeed."
Current Supervisor Bill McKenna says he has some big shoes to fill.
"He's going to be a tough act to follow, no doubt about it," McKenna said. "This job fit him like a glove. He was designed for it, and the job for him."
Wilber was 66 years old.