– This story was updated at 5:30 p.m.

Friends and colleagues, reacting Monday to the news that former Westbrook Mayor Bruce Chuluda died Sunday, called Chuluda a quiet and dedicated leader who put community first.

Chuluda, a well-liked, three-term Westbrook mayor, died suddenly on Sunday at the age of 66.

Jim Blais, of Blais & Hay Funeral Home in Westbrook, confirmed Chuluda’s death Monday, stating that funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced soon.

Westbrook City Administrator Jerre Bryant reflected on six years of working for Chuluda, saying that he was “a pleasure to work for.”

Bryant said Chuluda had an “unassuming” leadership style, and he cared deeply for the Westbrook community.

“He was solid, steady, and had a very strong moral and social barometer,” he said Monday. “I had a great deal of respect for Bruce.”

He said Chuluda’s priority was focusing on community concerns.

“They came first,” said Bryant. “Any decision we were facing, they were the people who clearly came first.”

Chuluda served as mayor from 2003-2010, years that saw considerable development in the city. During his administration, the One Riverfront Plaza office building and parking garage was constructed, as was the Westbrook Public Safety building on Main Street.

Prior to running for mayor, Chuluda was the president of the Westbrook Chamber of Commerce, served on the Public Safety Commission, and was a Ward 2 city councilor. At one time Chuluda was also the chief operating officer and project manager for the Westbrook Community Hospital during its transition to the Mercy Hospital system.

Local radio talk show host Ray Richardson, a longtime friend of Chuluda’s, also shared stories Monday about working on Chuluda’s campaigns. Richardson said the pair became friends at the Westbrook Chamber of Commerce, where Chuluda became a big supporter of Westbrook Together Days, the popular summertime community event.

“He took something that was a nice, small community event and turned it into the wonderful, regional event that sees thousands,” he said. “Quite a legacy, actually.”

Richardson also worked on Chuluda’s campaigns for City Council and mayor, also taking note of Chuluda’s leadership style.

“It was quiet leadership, but he was fiscally conservative, and concerned about the taxpayers,” he said. “The people of Westbrook were constantly on his mind.”

Richardson remembered a phrase often used by Chuluda: “Economically vibrant and affordable.”

Formerly a lifelong Democrat, Chuluda said he became disenchanted with his party’s leadership in Westbrook and decided to run for the City Council as an independent. In 2002, he unseated Democrat Tim Driscoll, who is now a state representative. In 2003, Chuluda ran as a Republican for mayor and unseated six-year incumbent Don Esty. In 2006, he won again for mayor against six-year City Council president, and current School Committee president, Jim Violette. Chuluda was defeated in his bid for a fourth term in 2009 by Colleen Hilton, who beat him again in 2012 in his final run for public office.

Hilton served as president of the Westbrook School Committee during Chuluda’s years as mayor. She said Monday that while the two didn’t always agree, there was always respect.

“We always had the best interest of the city in our sights,” she said, offering his work in implementing a citywide recycling program and school building projects as examples of his community-minded goals.

When Chuluda was initially elected in 2003, defeating Esty, Bryant said, the win was a “surprise to many.”

According to a Westbrook Historical Society book on Westbrook mayors, Chuluda initiated an “open-door Saturdays” policy at Westbrook City Hall, when residents could visit Chuluda to discuss concerns. According to the book, Chuluda was “most proud of getting curbside recycling into the city and of his accessibility to the citizens of Westbrook.”

Richardson agrees on this portion of Chuluda’s legacy.

“I feel like he really opened up the communication lines between the citizens and city government,” he said.

According to Bryant, Chuluda also played a key role in the city acquiring the land where Westbrook Middle School now sits, a quick decision that the normally cautious Chuluda made with the community in mind.

“At the time, and since, it’s proven to be a great location for the school,” Bryant said. “Bruce was very committed to that, and showed a great deal of leadership to move quickly on it.”

Hilton said the Chuluda family has maintained a civil service mindset. Chuluda’s late wife, Victoria, was a longtime librarian in Westbrook. His daughter, Lisa, served on the city’s charter commission.

“My heart goes out to Lisa,” she said. “It’s really sad news.”

During the first mayoral campaign working for Chuluda, Richardson said, the campaign created a small newspaper called the Communicator, with the tagline of “Putting the ‘We’ back in Westbrook.’”

“That’s his legacy,” Richardson said. “Bruce Chuluda put the ‘We’ back in Westbrook.”

Bruce Chuluda