Bob Willwerth, Chief Operator of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, retired Monday, October 18 after working for the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea for 34 years. Willwerth began his career in 1987 as an assistant in the Wastewater Plant and went on to become Chief Operator in 2017. Born in Manchester, Bob is the last in a long line of Willwerths serving the town. Sister Gretchen Wood served as Manchester Town Clerk for decades (and still serves on the Manchester Housing Authority). Another sister, Beth Heisey, retired last year after decades as administrative assistant supporting the Town Administrator and then the Building Department. (These ties go well beyond Bob’s siblings, as many know.)
DPW Director Chuck Dam and Town Administrator Greg Federspiel offered a touching tributes to a man who devoted an entire career in service of Manchester. State Senator Bruce Tarr sent a Commonwealth Citation from the State House in honor of Willwerth.
The man of the hour stood firm on the steps of Town Hall as longtime colleagues, family and friends watched for the outdoor special ceremony marking his retirement. He relaxed and smiled, however, when it was time to sit in his commemorative chair designed especially for this event, for pictures, surrounded by family, young and old.
