Lyme ― Ralph F. Eno Jr., who served as first selectman for more than 20 years, died last week.

Eno, who was living in Maine at the time of his death on Sept. 29, served as first selectman from 1991 to 2001 and again from 2006 to 2017.

During his tenure, Eno, an open-space advocate, ushered in several high-profile capital improvement projects, including the renovation of Town Hall, the construction of a new public library and the conversion of the town’s landfill into a transfer station that was later named in his honor.

“Ralph was an incredibly talented and longtime-serving steward of our town, and our hearts go out to his friends and family,” First Selectman David Lahm said in a news release.

In a 2016 interview with The Day during his final re-election campaign, Eno, who also served on the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Finance, called Lyme “a very special place.”

“In my mind, small and mid-sized towns are the backbone of the state,” he said.

Donations can be made in Eno’s memory to the Maranacook Food Bank via the Maranacook Education Foundation website.