As R.A. “Dick” Nugent steps away from his long city service in Nederland, he may miss the excitement of working for public causes greater for himself. That may be true even as he welcomes the approaching rest.

That’s how it is on any level of government. Good leaders know they have more than a public position, they have an opportunity. They can bask in whatever glory resides in being an elected or high appointed official — that can be small — or they can work their hardest to effect beneficial community change. When they walk away, they can know they did their best and, if things work out, they can lay some claim to have made things better, even if it’s only felt internally. They can take home the satisfaction of doing their job faithfully and well.

For 46 years, Nugent tried to make things better in his city of some 18,000 people. He worked in positions, volunteer and paid, that protected the people of Nederland. He turned attention to City Council work and matters of wider community concern and later pursued and won the mayor’s job. Along the way, he treated people with the kindness and respect citizens deserve.

But Nugent will likely miss something more than the challenge. He’ll likely miss the camaraderie that comes from working in common cause with other community-minded people, folks with whom he might have shared good times and tough challenges.

“I was part of a team,” he said of his 46 years of service to Nederland, including 16 as mayor. He’ll leave office after the May 4 election.

“I led the meeting. I like to feel like, as mayor, I didn’t do anything by myself. I started the thinking process. When we get to that table, there are five votes. They have as much authority as the mayor.”

Service to city involved more than voting. It involved study and preparation and some thought. It involved conversation with colleagues and with the citizens, for whom he served.

“I tried to think about things ahead of time,” he said. “If I made a decision, I thought about it before I made a vote. I’ll sit down with anyone. We all work for the city.”

Many of those friends and colleagues and citizens showed up last Friday to celebrate Nugent’s long service, his hard work and his dedication. He walked away with a plaque and a key to the city and with this: The certain knowledge that he tried his best, that he served faithfully and treated others well.

Friends said they’ll miss him but they won’t have to: Much of R.A. “Dick” Nugent is embodied in what is good about Nederland. It will stay that way.