Montville — Passersby on the town's Route 32 corridor drive by its many storefronts and restaurants — marks left by a quiet, strong-willed woman. 

Marcia Ann Vlaun, 70, the town planner for 32 years, died Oct. 11 due to the effects of stage 4 lung cancer.

Her work paved the way for major developments in town, including Montville Commons on Route 32, resulting in the additions of Home Depot, Stop & Shop and Chili's.

Mayor Ron McDaniel said when another town thought the idea of a dinosaur themed attraction would never work, Vlaun saw potential and now Montville has The Dinosaur Place, one of the state's premium family fun adventure parks.

"Marcia was a trusted adviser and an irreplaceable colleague," McDaniel said. "Her vision and fingerprints will be on this town for years to come."

He said Vlaun never sought recognition for her accomplishments.

Leading up to the construction of the town's public safety building in 2012, Vlaun served as the project manager, completing the project on time and under budget.

She also worked with the Mohegan Tribe in the development of Mohegan Sun before the casino was built in 1996.

Chuck Bunnell, chief of staff for the tribe, called Vlaun "the consummate public servant."

"She always had the best interest of Montville in mind as she worked to execute her plan for the future of the community she loved," he said.

McDaniel said Vlaun was one of the town's first veteran liaisons. A veteran herself, she would help many veterans navigate benefit information, often collaborating with social services to assist them in finding resources they needed. In 2017, Vlaun helped Montville become one of the first towns in Connecticut to join the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's Hidden Heroes Cities, an organization dedicated to increasing the awareness and support of local military caregivers.

In her youth, Vlaun joined the Air Force after graduating from Saint Bernard's High School. As cited in her obituary published on Oct. 15, few people knew that as an Air Force analyst, she was captured by the Viet Cong after the helicopter in which she was riding crashed in Vietnam. She managed to escape and received a Purple Heart for injuries she suffered, as well as the Air Force Commendation Medal.

After being discharged as a sergeant from the Air Force and attending Montana State University, Vlaun returned to Connecticut to work as zoning officer in Waterford and director of the Water Pollution Control Authority in Stonington before taking her place as Montville's town planner.

When her wife died in 2019, Vlaun was left with little to no family around. She spent most of her time making connections with colleagues.

Assistant Planner Colleen Bezanson knew Vlaun for 24 years and viewed her not only as a mentor but as a friend and family member.

Bezanson said Vlaun was someone she could always turn to for advice, encouraging personal and professional growth. "She was soft-spoken but always had a commanding presence. Someone said the other day that she was a legend and I agree."

Liz Burdick is Vlaun's successor as the new town planner. She worked under Vlaun's supervision when she was the town's zoning and wetlands official from 2015 to 2018.

Burdick said she remembers eating lunch together with Vlaun every day, as a family would.

"Marcia was regimented and a little set in her ways but was loyal to her staff and displayed random acts of kindness to many," Burdick said. "She was admired for her role in town and will be missed."

Bezanson and Burdick said Vlaun would "adopt" families for Christmas, have the department participate in toy drives and, as an avid fisher, took part in a program to teach kids how to fish.

Lucy Beit, the town's assessor, said she had known Vlaun since she started working at Town Hall 20 years ago. Beit said Vlaun was a "knowledgeable woman of integrity" whom she could always go to for help. "She knew everything about the town."

Assistant Town Clerk Michelle Giroux said she worked as Vlaun's administrative assistant in the planning department from 2015 to 2017.

Giroux described Vlaun as a "quiet, unassuming persona" with a "dry sense of humor" that had the ability to make everyone in the department laugh and shake their heads.

"Marcia was the most honest and straightforward person I have ever had the privilege to work for," Giroux said. "We all learned how to take her 'words of wisdom,' capitalize on them and grow from the Marcia experience."

j.vazquez@theday.com