By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — The Representative Town Meeting didn’t have an officially weighty agenda on Tuesday night, but began with some heartfelt personal business.

Susan Pfister, the longtime director of the Westport Center for Senior Activities, gave the invocation because she is retiring.

And members took time to send well wishes to Cathy Talmadge of District 6, who has been active in many community roles, because she is again facing serious health challenges.

The town’s legislative body also chose to keep Jeffrey Wieser of District 4 as moderator for another year, and Lauren Karpf of District 7 as deputy moderator.

Wieser was elected to a second term by a vote of 28-0, with one abstention by Sal Liccione of District 9, while Karpf was re-elected unanimously.

Longtime RTM member Jack Klinge, District 7, introduced Pfister, and recalled how the senior center had been bounced from space to available space over the decades.

“Our seniors have no better friend in this town than Sue Pfister,” he said. “No better advocate. I call her a guardian angel.”

Klinge said the hundreds of visitors to the senior center would come to her for health advice, family advice, transportation advice, housing advice.

“She’s like the mother hen gathering her flock of seniors,” Klinge said.

Pfister told the crowd that she realized in the 1980s when visiting an elderly grandmother upstate that studying business at Sacred Heart was not her true calling.

“I quickly realized that my inner soul connected with older adults, and that I felt very comfortable,” Pfister said.

She switched majors at SHU. Her only other job was at a Friendly’s in Darien, she said. The rest of her career was in Westport working with seniors. She acknowledged the nonprofit, religious and civic organizations that also help seniors, as well as the town of Westport.

“In my experience, the town’s administration and community at large have always had seniors’ best interests front and center,” she said. “Something that I have not witnessed in any other community throughout my career.”

“This town recognizes the valuable resource and asset seniors are to the community,” Pfister said.

She offered two of her favorite quotes.

The first she said was from her softball days, “It doesn’t take talent to hustle.”

“The second, ‘The best part of life is when your family become your friends, and your friends become your family.’ ”

She was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a standing ovation.

Wieser then told the RTM that Talmadge is battling a serious illness.

“We are all pulling for her and wishing her the very best,” he said.

Wieser said he was pretty sure Talmadge was watching the meeting.

“But just to make sure she feels the love, I would like you all to stand up, and when I say three, blow her the most enthusiastic kiss you can.”

Talmadge has an autoimmune disease, sarcoidosis, which can cause damage to organs. A few years ago, she got a new kidney from a donor.

First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker came to the podium and said she hoped Talmadge was watching.

“We honor you,” Tooker said. “You’ve accomplished great things for Westport, setting an example of achievement for others to follow, you’ve shown initiative in leadership. Incredible courage, and diligence in helping to transform our beloved community, your beloved community, into a place of value, sustainability, and true friendship …”

“Your had work, coupled with compassion and thoughtfulness is the model by which many others should and do serve,” Tooker said. “So, on behalf of the town of Westport, your family, friends and neighbors, I extend my deepest appreciation for your devotion, your commitment and dedicated service to our wonderful community.”

Thane Grauel, executive editor, grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond more than three decades. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.