Working for the town until the week before he passed away from cancer, Charlie Ouellette was remembered as a loyal, kind and diligent man at a public memorial service on Saturday morning.

More than 100 friends and family came to Shipyard Park to remember Ouellette, who died on July 6.

Although Ouellete, 56, did not want a funeral service, friends organized the outdoor celebration.

"We felt that we needed something like this," said his friend and boss, Highway Surveyor Barry Denham. "We just had a big hole in our hearts."

As an employee at the Mattapoisett Highway Department, Denham said, "He was so easy to know, so easy to work with. He did whatever the job for the day called for."

When Ouellette asked Denham for the job, he already had cancer but said, "I'll work as hard and as long for you as I can."

That was exactly what Ouellette did.

"He only took one personal day the week before he died," said Denham.

Town Administrator Mike Gagne remembered coming to the Town Hall after a bad storm a few years ago that knocked out electricity and left the town a mess. Ouellette showed up soon thereafter with a smile and one of the Highway Department's machines to start cleaning up the area.

"He always had such a positive attitude," said Gagne.

Born and raised in Rochester, Ouellette was a good friend of that town's Fire Department. Many Rochester firefighters came, bringing a fire truck with them to honor Ouellette.

Highway Department trucks as well as the front end loader that Ouellette often drove were also lined up on the edge of the park.

Ouellette's brother, Bruce, was thankful for those who planned the service.

"They liked him so much, they said 'we just have to do this.'"

A plaque will also be placed on a bench at Shipyard Park to remember Ouellette's service.