By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — The city of Claremont is mourning the death of Chief Building Official and Health Officer Joel Tremblay, who died suddenly on Saturday night when he suffered a “medical event” while inspecting the McDonald’s on Washington Street.
“Right now we don’t know 100% what happened so I would hate to even speculate, but we just know it is a horrible situation,” Mayor Dale Girard said. “I feel for his coworkers and I feel for his family. It’s just a really tough situation at this point.”
Girard said Tremblay, 47, did end up on the floor, but wasn’t sure if he slipped or if a medical condition caused him to go down.
Police Chief Brent Wilmot also did not want to speculate, but said the city has been working with the medical examiner to determine the cause and manner of death. An autopsy was taking place on Monday, but information was not available by deadline.
Wilmot confirmed that Tremblay was responding on his own accord to McDonald’s after seeing social media posts regarding the health and safety at the local fast-food restaurant.
“He was at McDonald’s on official business conducting an inspection after hearing reports of concerns about something in the restaurant,” Wilmot said.
Wilmot said there were complaints late last week about McDonald’s, but it wasn’t something needed to take care of right away. When social media posts continued, Wilmot said Tremblay took the initiative to go there and “do the right thing and fix a problem.”
“He took it upon himself after seeing messaging on social media that there was an active acute concern,” Wilmot said. “While he was there, he suffered a medical emergency and they tried life-saving efforts, but were unable to revive them.”
Wilmot knew Tremblay well, as he was a police commissioner for nine years and a former city councilor. He said he “really enjoyed working with him.”
“He participated in all my promotions after corporal, so from when I got to sergeant all the way to being chief,” Wilmot said. “He was on the commission for my first five months in Claremont and then on the council before taking the job with the city.”
Wilmot described him as a “dedicated public servant” and noted that he was committed to the city of Claremont as well as time working for the Vermont Fire Marshal’s office.
Wilmot called Tremblay a good worker who was fair and applied common sense to his duties, and had a very sound understanding of building code and city ordinances. He said he was a valuable asset to the city as a whole.
Wilmot said the planning and zoning office has been in a transition for quite some time. Now that he is in the interim city manager role, he has had more interactions with that office and said he always had a sense of comfort knowing that Tremblay was there.
“He was very mature, very seasoned and a good leader,” Wilmot said. “He is not a man of many words and brings a sense of calm in a room. Even though they were without a director in that building, it was always comforting to know he was there.”
Fire Chief Jim Chamberlain spoke highly of Tremblay, saying he was an “instrumental person who had a profound impact on the safety and wellbeing of our community.”
“The Claremont Fire Department often worked closely with him, as fire and building operations frequently overlapped,” Chamberlain said. “His well-mannered, empathetic approach was personally inspiring to me, and I can speak for all members of the fire department when I say we are deeply saddened by this loss. We extend our deepest condolences to his family during this difficult time.”
City Councilor Bill Limoges said it was a shock to hear of his passing and that it was his pleasure to serve with him on the council and interact with him professionally.
“He was an exceptionally talented building inspector, both in knowledge of his job, and in his dedication to the city, and its citizens,” Limoges said. “He was very responsive to any requests I had made, taking care of the issues much faster than I ever would have imagined. We’ve lost a very special person, and civil servant with his passing. My prayers go out to his family in this incredibly difficult time.”
Claremont may be a city, but it is still a small, tight knit community where most people know each other whether it be in a work environment or friend.
“I had the privilege of knowing Joel, serving alongside him, and witnessing firsthand his dedication as a family man, a caring friend, and a sharp, witty presence,” Councilor Nick Koloski said. “Whatever task Joel took on, he gave it his all. His love for this community was clear in everything he did — from years of volunteer service to his thoughtful, well-informed work as building inspector. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
On a personal level, Wilmot coached Tremblay’s middle daughter in cross-country running several years ago. Tremblay, who has two daughters and a son with his wife Linda, was described by Wilmot as a “wonderful family man” and a “really solid guy.”
“He was just a good man, and at the end of the day what better can be said about somebody?” Wilmot said. “He was intelligent, applied common sense and had a witty sense of humor. He will be sorely missed, that is for sure.”
Funds are being raised and meals are being organized for Tremblay’s family during the difficult time at mealtrain.com/trains/kq303r.
