This week Dobson lost one of its public servants when Clarence Collins died on Tuesday.

Collins had been battling illness for some time, and as a result he was not seeking re-election to the town board of commissioners, where he had served for 16 years.

To a person those who talked about his life and service said the same things: He was steady; he listened and considered all sides of an issue before making a decision; he worked hard, without any personal agenda and never seeking the spotlight for himself; he was dedicated.

Collins moved to Dobson in 1962 as part of a job transfer, and he spent the rest of his life living in the town. He was elected to the board in 1993, which means he served the public for 16 years, roughly a third of the time he lived in the town.

What a legacy to leave — a third of his time in the town devoted to public service, and doing that work out of the limelight, solely because he thought it was the right thing to do.

It would be easy to say all those in elected office should seek to emulate this, but in truth all people, whether in government or not, should use this as a guide. There are more ways to serve the community than seeking an elected office, and we should all seek to spend more time serving our community, quietly, steadily, simply because it is the right thing to do.

Dobson has, as Commissioner Wayne Atkins said, lost a friend. We only hope others will rise up to fill the void that has been left.