One seat will be noticeably empty at the Annual Meeting of Centerville Township inhabitants Saturday.

Richard “Richie” Pleva, a member of the Township Board for nearly 38 years, died Friday. He was 83.

Pleva was elected township Clerk in 1970 and completed a 4-year term before his election as township trustee in 1974. He held the office for nearly four decades, and had been attending meetings regularly until the last two months.

“He was a good guy … a tireless worker,” said Supervisor Leonard Kelenski, who has served on the Township Board with Pleva since the mid-1980s. “You could always depend on Richie.”

During his tenure, the township has encountered a lot of growth — from 473 residents in 1970 to 1,095 in 2000, according to census reports. There was also the adoption of zoning, with which he was very familiar having served as zoning administrator for many years in the township in addition to his duties as trustee.

“Richie was a pleasant guy to work with,” said township Ccerk James Balesh, who first served as a board trustee before “swapping” places with Pleva in 1974. “He never raised his voice or got excited about issues. He took everything in stride.”

Pleva’s amicable disposition and laid back manner may have stemmed from his experience as a cherry farmer. His home on the French Road always had a sign advertising the English walnuts grown there.

Together, Pleva, Kelenski and Balesh represented the last of a breed ­— the trio lived in what some consider the most rural township in the county and continued to live close to the land as farmers. They were featured in an Enterprise story about grassroots politics, with townships representing the county’s smallest unit of government. The story, printed prior to the August Primary election in 2004, was accompanied by a picture of the men posing with a tractor in front of the township hall.

According to Sherry Nedow, chief deputy county Clerk, Centerville Township has 30 days in appoint a replacement for Pleva, whose term was scheduled to expire next fall. The appointment will be through the November General Election, when the 4-year position will be filled by the electorate.