Department of Public Works employees and many residents are mourning the death of Gilly Leonardo, who passed away Tuesday morning.

Leonardo spent 35 years with the department and oversaw highway operations for 27 years. On Tuesday and Wednesday, employees parked the town truck assigned to Leonardo near Route 6. Flowers and a black cloth were draped on the hood in his honor. Throughout the day, many people stopped by to pay their respects.

Department employee Ron Auld worked alongside Leonardo for 13 years.

“He was a good boss who worked hard. He was well-known to a lot of people,” Auld said. “He never missed a day of work.”