HAMPTON — Robert "Vic" Lessard of Hampton died suddenly Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, at Exeter Hospital.

SERVICES: A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church, 289 Lafayette Road, Hampton. Vic will be waked 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday at Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Church, 1 Lowell St., Seabrook Beach. Family and friends are invited to attend. Interment will be in the family lot, High Street Cemetery, Hampton. In his memory, contributions may be directed to the NHSPCA, P.O. Box 196, Stratham, NH 03885. Arrangements are under the direction of the Farrell Funeral Home, 684 State St., Portsmouth, N.H.

Hampton legend Vic Lessard dies at 79

By Nick B. Reid

The Hampton Union, December 12, 2013

HAMPTON — Robert “Vic” Lessard, a Hampton legend, died Thursday, taking with him a wealth of knowledge about the town's past and his trademark helping nature, according to longtime friend and fellow Zoning Board member Tom McGuirk.

McGuirk said Lessard, 79, the owner of Lessard and Sons excavation and wrecking, was known for many things: the way he'd jump out of his seat to help someone in need, his work ethic that had him on job sites every day of the week until the day he died, his interesting stories. He was most well-known for his intimate knowledge of Hampton's history, on the beach and in town, somehow always finding a way to relate today's issues to something that happened “back in 1927,” McGuirk said.

“That type of history is going to be lost,” McGuirk said. “We don't have that.”

McGuirk, who has been receiving phone calls all morning about Lessard, said Lessard was just about the only Hampton figure that his entire family loved. McGuirk, who owns a restaurant on the beach, said he is currently working on a project with Lessard's company, and just two weeks ago Lessard was giving him a hard time for being late to a Saturday meeting. In fact, McGuirk actually arrived a couple minutes early, but not before Lessard did.

“This is a guy, 79 years old, who worked till the day he died, and that's the way he would want to be remembered,” McGuirk said. “Hardest working guy you'd ever meet.”

And just as Lessard could introduce you to someone you'd never had the chance to meet by telling old stories, McGuirk said Lessard will be known by generations to come who weren't lucky enough to make his acquaintance.

“Tom McGuirk at 80 years old is going to be telling Vic Lessard stories,” McGuirk said. “That is who Vic is and who he'd want to be.”

Hampton Grieves Passing of Vic Lessard, 'Bank of Knowledge'

by Kyle Stucker

Hampton-NorthHamptonPatch, December 12, 2013

Thursday was an immeasurably sad day for many Hampton officials and longtime residents, as news has spread that Robert "Vic" Lessard, a heavily involved member of the community and the zoning board's chairman, passed away Wednesday night.

Town Manager Fred Welch said Lessard was "bigger than a big part" of Hampton and the Seacoast area while describing a knowledgeable and caring man "everyone knows."

Welch said Lessard has been one of the most "instrumental" figures in Hampton government and business since Lessard first took office in 1972. Lessard, who also owned Lessard and Sons, an excavation and wrecking service, "saw all these things happen and was a part of them," according to Welch.

"He was our bank of knowledge when it came to things in the community, and that's going to be missed," said Welch, who said it was "not easy" to talk about Lessard's passing. "He's a personal friend. I'm going to miss him terribly. He was just an asset and friendly to everyone. He was a kind of guy you went to and he made sure the problem was solved. The old school."

Lessard, 79, also served on the Hampton Board of Selectmen, and another longtime Hampton official said Lessard's leadership and kindness made a dramatic impact on her during her first term in 1978.

"He gave us a lot of wisdom," said Selectman Mary-Louise Woolsey. "I basically learned from him. Sometimes he might have regretted it, but I learned from him. One thing that he said that has stuck with me for all my years is that, 'The only thing that matters is that it's for the good of the town.'"

Woolsey said the town will dedicate the 2013 annual report to Lessard, whom she said put in a "lot of years of hard work" for Hampton.

"If could say [what his legacy in Hampton will be] in one word, I would say 'dedication,'" said Woolsey. "It takes a lot of patience to do that."

Hampton Police Chief Jamie Sullivan said his department as well as the Hampton Fire Department responded to a medical aid call at the Lessard home at 100 Timber Swamp Road around 5 p.m. Wednesday. One individual was transported to the hospital following the response to that call, according to Sullivan.

Hampton-North Hampton Patch will not be releasing further details about the medical aid call or events at the hospital.

2013 Town Report to be Dedicated to Vic Lessard

By Nick B. Reid

The Hampton Union, December 20, 2013

HAMPTON — The 2013 Town Report will be dedicated to a Hampton legend who was laid to rest this week.

Without even considering the myriad ways Vic Lessard helped the people of Hampton through his prowess in construction, the beloved icon's list of formal elected roles in town is long.

Lessard, who died last week at age 79, was first elected a member of the Budget Committee in 1972, then as a selectman in 1973, serving five terms. He also became a member of the Planning Board in 1973, on which he served three terms. He was a member of the Leased Land Real Estate Commission and served eight terms as a Trustee of the Trust Funds beginning in 1989.

Most recently, he became a member of the Zoning Board, of which he was the current chairman, where he served eight terms beginning in 1991, according to Selectmen Chairman Dick Nichols.

"I think he'll be missed by all," Nichols said.

The selectmen held a moment of silence Monday in memory of Lessard's life, during which a packed audience stood and solemnly bowed their heads out of respect for the man.

By a consensus of the board, and at the recommendation of many, the selectmen agreed as their first order of business Monday to dedicate the upcoming town report in Lessard's honor.

People that knew Lessard told the Hampton Union last week that with his loss goes a wealth of knowledge about the town, an ever-eager source of good deeds, an important voice for the town's best interests, a loving family man and the hardest-working guy in Hampton.

Dave Lang, who joined the Hampton Fire Department when Lessard was on the Board of Selectmen, said Lessard was "what was right with elected officials," since he espoused the ideology of going to the public and following their will.

"He has always been a very important voice for the citizens of the town of Hampton," Lang said. "Vic Lessard talked openly about his love for the town and there was no one that could challenge that love."