SHARON — Being a town lister is not for everyone. The role entails determining the market value of residential properties, then compiling a “Grand List” that’s used to calculate property taxes. It’s complicated, time-consuming work, the kind few would willingly sign up for.

Galen Mudgett Jr., however, embraced the role with zeal. Being a lister bookended his working life, which began in Sharon in 1943, and is believed to have ended in a fire at his home last week, some 80 years later.

In many ways, the work exemplified his character: conscientious, fair-minded and fiercely dedicated to his community.

Mudgett was born to Galen Earl Mudgett Sr. and Hazel Bicknell. The couple owned a Jersey farm, which meant twice-daily chores for Mudgett Jr. and his four sisters, who learned to be scrupulous workers from a young age.

“When you mowed the fields, you didn’t leave a strip anywhere,” Ruth Roy, one of Mudgett’s sisters, said in an interview.

When Mudgett graduated from South Royalton High School in 1961, he took up a role as a lister in Sharon while helping on the family farm until the mid-1960s, when the construction of Interstate 89 bisected their land, forcing them to find other income.

Mudgett pivoted, joining the Air Force where he served for 28 years, first in Vietnam and later in Germany, South Korea and throughout the U.S.

“He was very proud of the time he spent in the military,” Roy said.

Mudgett’s name is listed on the Vermont Vietnam Memorial south of the Sharon exit on I-89 North.

Even after all that time abroad, Mudgett didn’t forget about his hometown. When he retired in the mid-1990s, he returned to Sharon, purchasing the property on Route 14.

In 1998, Sharon was down a lister, and resident Ken Wright encouraged Mudgett to run for the position.

“He took to it fabulously,” said Wright, who would work with Mudgett for almost 30 years.

From the outset, Mudgett was fascinated by the minutiae of the role.

“We would have long and heartfelt discussions about things like how many sheds can someone have … before they don’t make any difference to the value of the property,” Wright said.

It was equally important to Mudgett that others understood the complexity of the process.

Sharon resident Mary Gavin, for instance, recalled the patience Mudgett showed her when appraising her house in the late 90s.

“He listened very carefully,” she said. “He took the time to explain to us the value of real estate.”

When it came time to assemble the Grand List, Mudgett became absorbed in the task.

“He wouldn’t smile until we got the darn thing filed and signed and put away for the year, and then he would smile,” said Helen Barrett, Mudgett’s self-described “work sister” of 20 years.

Throughout that time, he maintained an unwavering commitment to fairness, she recalled.

“Even if he didn’t agree with something, if it was equitable, that was more important,” Barrett said.

“He was like democracy itself,” she said.

It’s this dedication to the role that earned Mudgett Lister of the Year from the Vermont Assessors and Listers Association in 2006.

Mudgett gave back to his community in other ways, too. An avid saxophone player since childhood, he played in the Royalton Town Band and at special services at the West Lebanon First Congregational Church.

“He was always game for anything in terms of music,” said Aaron Richter, who directed Mudgett in the church’s handbell choir and supported him on organ in countless services.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Mudgett played saxophone at area nursing homes to entertain residents, Roy said.

He also judged the produce in Floral Hall at the Tunbridge World’s Fair for many years and served on the Sharon Selectboard.

Mudgett never married or had children, but he lived with “long time devoted partner and best friend” James Sheehan for almost two decades, according to Sheehan’s obituary from 2018.

Mudgett would often drive Sheehan to St. Anthony’s Church in White River Junction, though he himself was not a member. When Sheehan died, Mudgett continued to make pies for the church’s bake sales.

“Galen had a following for his delicious, fresh pies,” wrote Ethel Montuori in an email. Montuori met Mudgett while he was volunteering at a dinner at St Anthony’s.

At one point, Mudgett was supplying pies for as many as three churches at once, she wrote.

Those in his orbit knew how social Mudgett was, but he was also a deeply private person.

“He was very public in a very private way,” as Wright put it.

Even in his 80s, he opted to maintain his home himself, employing the same industriousness he brought to being a lister. In the summer, he used a push mower to tame his massive lawn, and in the winter, he could be spotted shoveling his steep driveway or propping up holiday-themed decorations. On the morning of the fire, a life-size cut-out of a snowman overlooked Route 14.

A true Vermonter, Mudgett’s love for his community and his independent spirit were pillars of who he was.

“He just loved being in service to people: to his friends, to his family, to his church,” Barrett, his  “work sister,” said.

Marion Umpleby can be reached at mumpleby@vnews.com or 602-727-3306.