Community mourns Charlie St. Clair, leader of Motorcycle Week and public servant

LACONIA — Friends, family and colleagues are mourning the death of Charlie St. Clair, longtime executive director of Laconia Motorcycle Week, following his death on Saturday.

“I don’t know how to adequately, or eloquently, capture how much Charlie means to me,” said Jenn Anderson, who worked as St. Clair’s second in command for Laconia Motorcycle Week Association. “He is one of the most important people in my life. I am truly the person I am today because of his influence on me over the last almost 30 years.”

St. Clair, 74, was being treated at MetroHealth Medical Center, in Cleveland, since a motorcycle accident Aug. 4, and died Saturday of heart failure.

St. Clair was on his way to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, in South Dakota, for the 50th time. No other vehicles were involved in the accident, and information from the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association states the crash was caused by a tire malfunction while St. Clair was riding west on Interstate 90.

The indelible mark St. Clair leaves on the Lakes Region, the Granite State, and beyond, is undeniable. Most anyone who knew St. Clair considered him a friend.

Whether it was a fellow state representative, biker getting psyched for the annual June rally, or patron of a local business or event, St. Clair is one of those people who seemingly knew everyone. Most people talk about his smile, and his ability to have a positive outlook, no matter the scenario.

“I am just a better person because of him,” Anderson said.

Anderson has known St. Clair since 1998, saying he was a savior to her when she was working her way through college. Anderson was working at the Road Kill Café, in Gilford, when it shuttered without warning. She said she and other employees came to work one day to find it closed, and while trying to figure out their next moves, St. Clair came into the closed restaurant to gather some memorabilia he had there.

St. Clair told the staff, who were at the bar trying to cope, he was looking for people to work part-time for him, and to meet him that Friday if they were interested. She remembers it was Friday, Oct. 15, and she was the only one who showed up. The rest is, as they say, history.

St. Clair had been executive director of Laconia Motorcycle Week Association since 1991, full-time since 1992, and now, he had Anderson at his wing.

“He has given so much of himself to this rally,” Anderson said. “His influence is woven into everything that we do.”

One thing people close to St. Clair know is he was resistant to change. Anderson said it was one of his characteristics which could be frustrating, but also endearing, as it was part of his true identity. She recalls there being no computer when she started, and he was mailing the rally news magazines across the country himself.

Anderson said the event simply wouldn’t be what it is without St. Clair’s devotion.

Anderson said that part-time position was really full-time work. However, the flexibility he provided allowed her to go to school and obtain multiple degrees, including a doctorate, and fulfill dreams she had and apply for jobs and positions she may never have won without his support.

“He has taught me the value of service,” Anderson said. “I never would have seen myself running for school board if it wasn’t for the example that Charlie set.”

Anderson said the biggest thing she learned from St. Clair, and is still admittedly working on, is having thick skin, and not taking everything to heart.

“He is a man who stands on his own, and doesn’t let what other people think of him or his views get to him,” Anderson said. “It is something I have always envied. He has always done things differently and walks his own path. That is something I just admire.”

The friendship they forged over 28 years is something hard to explain.

“He’s my person, I was his person, and he just means the world to me,” Anderson said.

Cynthia Makris, St. Clair’s cousin, said she was “heartbroken.”

“It is surreal that he is not with us anymore,” Makris said. “He really is a New Hampshire treasure, a nationwide treasure, but especially New Hampshire, for all he did here.”

Makris pointed to St. Clair’s work as a longtime state representative, putting the city and state’s interests at the forefront of his mind.

“But, he also became the mayor for a short period of time, to make sure the city was OK,” Makris said. “He loved Laconia.”

St. Clair served as interim mayor from September 2025, through January of this year, after Mayor Andrew Hosmer resigned when he moved out of the city.

St. Clair was born and raised in Laconia, and graduated from Laconia High School in 1969. Makris said this makes his connection with the area so much deeper. When it comes to the motorcycling community, the hole created is immense.

“He will never be replaced,” Makris said. “He affected people worldwide, not just nationwide. He was so proud of all the motorcyclists who came from other countries to Laconia Motorcycle Week. International visitors were so important to him.”

Makris believes without St. Clair’s direction, the rally might not have existed today. Makris is president of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, and recalls St. Clair reviving the rally after turmoil. She said his relationship with the city and the motorcycle community, as well as bringing in major sponsors, helped it continue to thrive.

She said St. Clair helped put his home city on the map, because whenever Laconia is mentioned around the country, people think Motorcycle Week.

“We are the third biggest, but we are the oldest, and that is something he was so proud of,” Makris said. “We are going into our 104th rally, because Charlie loved Laconia Motorcycle Week so much, and ensured it would continue.”

City Manager Kirk Beattie has worked alongside St. Clair in a variety of capacities over the years, and said he always enjoyed it.

“I’m going to miss our conversations, and our friendship,” Beattie said.

Whether he was coming into his office to talk about Motorcycle Week, or a city- or state-related discussion, it always meant a lot to hear what St. Clair had to say.

“I have full confidence that Motorcycle Week will continue to be the great event it has always been, but it will certainly be missing something without Charlie there,” Beattie said. “Charlie’s dedication to the city and to the State of New Hampshire cannot be over overstated.”

Rep. David Nagel (D-Gilmanton) said he knew of St. Clair for more than 30 years, but he didn’t really get to know him until serving in the Legislature. Nagel was formerly a Republican, and said he got to know him after he switched parties.

“For a guy with a rough exterior, he had a heart of gold,” Nagel said.

Nagel said St. Clair’s legacy will likely most often be associated with Laconia Motorcycle Week, but he said he should also be known for all he did to help neighbors in need. Nagel said this was something that helped cement their relationship.

“When times were tough for me in the Legislature, he was more than happy to advise me, something that I will always appreciate, and miss,” Nagel said.

St. Clair first served in the Statehouse 2017-20, and has been serving since being elected again in 2022.

Rep. Matt Coker (R-Meredith) called St. Clair “one of a kind,” and he will miss him. Coker said, in the Statehouse, there are far too few people who serve because they truly love their communities.

“But Charlie was one of them,” Coker said. “His loss is a loss for the state, and for Laconia, one that simply can’t be replaced.”

Rep. Mike Bordes, who has been chair of the Belknap County Delegation since Rep. Harry Bean's death in February, said Saturday when he heard about the accident it was a “tragedy to the City of Laconia.”

“The whole community will feel this loss,” said Bordes, who also serves as Laconia's mayor.

Since word of St. Clair’s death, dozens have taken to social media to share their stories.

Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), as well as Reps. Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) offered condolences.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), who recently spent plenty of time with St. Clair promoting Laconia Motorcycle Week, paid her respects on social media. She said St. Clair dedicated his life to serving the people of Laconia, from serving on the city’s planning board to representing in the Statehouse.

“Charlie loved our state and was proud to welcome visitors from around the world to New Hampshire during his 35 years as head of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association,” Ayotte wrote. “Joe and I are praying for Charlie’s family, friends, and fellow riders as they mourn his loss.”

Details about services for St. Clair have yet to be determined, and Anderson said she will share them as they become available.