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Many say civic activist Stuart Rochester's death last week was yet another blow to eastern Montgomery County residents who over the past two years have lost much of their leadership, including County Council members and longtime Calverton residents Marilyn and Don Praisner.

"Between [Rochester] and Marilyn Praisner, you just lost half of the knowledge in East County," said Del. Anne Kaiser (D-Dist. 14) of Burtonsville.

New council members get elected, but many in Burtonsville say replacing Rochester's dedication, vast historical knowledge and fairness as a volunteer civic activist presents a new level of challenges.

"You don't get many people that are doing volunteer work like he did," said Sammie Young, who worked closely with Rochester on the Fairland Master Plan Committee.

And Claire Iseli, a former aide to both Praisners when they served on the County Council, called him "irreplaceable."

Rochester died at his home in Burtonsville July 29 after a decade-long battle with skin cancer. He was 63 and an invaluable servant of eastern Montgomery County, family and friends say. Over the years he served as chairman of the Fairland Master Plan, worked so closely on the East County Citizens Advisory Board that many mistook him as a member and was the point-man for county officials, land-use lawyers and citizens who wanted to know intricate details and history about East County planning and politics.

Sen. Rona Kramer (D-Dist. 14) of Olney said Rochester's pragmatic, even-headed approach to thorny issues quelled some of the "not-in-my-backyard" attitudes that can be common in community activism. Rochester went from being staunchly opposed to the Intercounty Connector that was to run through the Paint Branch watershed in northern Burtonsville to being a proponent of a more southern alignment and even serving on committees for it.

"Unfortunately, people just become entrenched in positions and they don't want to hear facts, but he was quite willing to on many issues," Kramer said. "That's how open-minded he was."

In a nod to Rochester's work with the ICC, Del. Herman L. Taylor Jr. (D-Dist. 14) of Ashton called on the state to dedicate the Old Columbia Pike bridge over the ICC to him.

David Buck, a spokesman with the Maryland State Highway Administration said it is "far too early" to tell if a state road could be dedicated to Rochester.

County officials who relied on Rochester are hoping his willingness to hear all sides of an issue will permeate into the rest of community in his absence.

"It's a reminder we need to bring other folks and the next generation in line," County Councilwoman Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) of Garrett Park said at his funeral Friday morning.

But no one's really sure who that person — or group of people — will be.

Floreen said she and others called on Rochester so much to head community committees and task forces that the county will have to wean itself off him.

"You say, ‘Oh, well Stuart's in charge. He'll take care of it,'" she said. "But history's one thing — let's look to the future."

Floreen said it is the responsibility of those he left behind to engage others to walk in his footsteps, especially because Burtonsville's opportunities as a booming economic center will continue to grow whether Rochester is there advocating for them or not.

But it takes time to garner the knowledge Rochester had of the community, said Dan Wilhelm, a member of the Greater Colesville Civic Association who worked with Rochester on the Fairland Master Plan.

"I think it's going to be a hole for a while," Wilhelm said.

Others agree.

Rochester "pulled more than his weight," said Pat Ryan, who worked on the Fairland Master Plan with Rochester. Because he was so valuable, Ryan said, "it's absolutely vital that someone step up."

There are many residents like Rochester who value their community, said Joy Nurmi, director of the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center.

Nurmi said she will have to count on those same residents to put in the extra "elbow grease" that Rochester did.

"We'll soldier on because we have to," she said.

Staff Writer Robert Dongu contributed to this report.