CHESTERVILLE — For the past 31 years, Town Clerk Pat Gordon has lived by seasons: tax season, hunting season, town meeting season and others.

Soon she will begin a new phase in her life, one that will free her for travel and, best of all, “the opportunity to get outdoors,” she said.

Gordon, 66, looks forward to swimming, kayaking, biking and hiking and just being outdoors, she said.

Gordon will retire as of May 31, but continue for a few hours of each week to help Heather Wheeler assume the workload.

On May 11 everyone is invited “to show her how much we appreciate all her hard work for us by stopping by to visit during the open house,” Cindy Whittier said. “She so deserves a warm embrace from the community she served for so many years.”

The open house will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Town Office.

Gordon admits she’ll miss not seeing residents and not having a place to go everyday.

“I like the work, love the people,” she said. “You get connected to the people.”

For the past 31 years, initially part-time and then full-time starting in 1996, Gordon has served as town clerk, issuing or renewing licenses for hunting and fishing, vehicles, ATVs, snowmobiles, boats and marriages.

She also keeps track of the town’s births, deaths and marriages, and issues 911 numbers. She also maintains voting lists as the registrar of voters, decides on General Assistance and assists selectmen and the assessor.

It’s a position that requires much attention to detail. It’s also one where one can’t get comfortable, she said. There’s always another change just around the corner.

“The change sometimes is overwhelming,” she said.

The biggest change is the state’s involvement in town business, she said, procedures on everything from voting to vehicle licensing are mandatory.

“It’s become ‘you shall or you must,'” she said of state directives. “The best part of the position has been the people; the worst, the state changes.”

Trained for clerical work in high school, Gordon ran for the then part-time position of town clerk, tax collector in 1982 when the one serving moved away.

She worked mostly from her home, with townspeople stopping by for licenses, and sometimes at the old town hall. It allowed her time to stay home with her children. She was elected to the position each year for several years, she said.

In 1995, selectmen appointed her town clerk and the next year she started working a 35-hour week. At that time, she worked mornings for the Department of Conservation in Augusta and in Chesterville afternoons. It became too much as her work for the town increased, she said.

Over the years, Gordon has seen the town population grow from 800 to 1,300. The town office moved to the former school and the old town hall torn down to make more room for the town garage. A new fire station built and a ball field and basketball court added at the town office site.

Computer use has also greatly changed her work, she said.

Gordon grew up in Industry. Her maiden name was Gordon and she married a Gordon, she said. She has two children and three grandchildren. Now divorced, she lives in Temple. She worked for a Bass mail-order department and at other local jobs before starting her work as a town clerk.

abryant@sunjournal.com