A Founders Day Salute

Saugus honors Nancy Prag and Eugene Decareau with “Person of the Year” Awards

By Mark E. Vogler

Nancy Prag credits her late mom — Ruth Mohr — for her decades of dedication to environmental causes to help keep her hometown clean and green. She called Mohr “a true volunteer and environmentalist” — one of the original members of SAVE — Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment, which is now in its 52nd year.

“Growing up in Saugus, I was often dragged along to pick up trash, take photos of trash and document polluters of trash,” Prag, now in her early 60s, recalled last Saturday.

“Thanks to her, I learned early on that caring for your community starts with rolling up your sleeves,” she said.

Eugene Decareau, now in his early 90s, is a lifelong Saugus resident from Mohr’s generation. He has spent more than half of his life volunteering in a wide range of causes that have led to the betterment of his community. Decareau was once a director of the YMCA, a Little League coach and a Cubmaster for Troop 62. He’s also served as a member of the Friends of the Saugus Senior Center, the Saugus Food Pantry and the Saugus Veterans Council and has been active with the Saugus Lions Club for more than half a century — once serving as its president.

Last Saturday (Sept. 13), Prag and Decareau sat on a makeshift stage set up near the front steps of Saugus Town Hall, where they were honored at the 44th annual Saugus Founders Day with the 2025 “Person of the Year” Awards.

Decareau “dedicated to volunteering”

“Our Person of the Year was employed at the Eastern Tool Company most of his life and retired many years ago,” said Janice Jarosz, the 2008 “Woman of the Year,” in a short speech introducing Decareau.

“Not to be sidelined, he quickly became dedicated to volunteering in his beloved Saugus, and his resume is quite impressive,” she said.

Jarosz noted that “for several days each year, you can find him in front of the Town Hall, collecting funds for the Lions Club Eye Research project.”

“In his spare time, he bakes cakes and pies from scratch and often donates them to fundraisers, and special community functions. He even made a command performance on Saugus Cable TV station demonstrating and sharing his ‘Secrets of a Well-made Pie’!” she said.

In her speech, Jarosz noted that Decareau was born in Saugus, attended local schools, was elected Vice President of the Saugus High School Class of 1948 and was a standout football player on the Sachem team that won the State Championship. After graduation, Decareau signed up with the US Army and became an assistant instructor in Military Weapons and Tactics at West Point, New York.

“On one visit home while on leave and dressed in his impressive Army uniform, he was outside on his front yard and happened to notice a beautiful girl who lived right across the street,” Jarosz said. “After this encounter, he told his buddy about this beautiful girl. His buddy then bet him five dollars that in no way would he ever get a date with her.”

“Not to be discouraged, he persisted and eventually that beautiful girl across the street said yes, and she has been saying yes to him for the past 72 years. Unfortunately, his buddy passed away before he could collect on the bet, but he did win the heart of that beautiful girl,” she said, referring to Arlene Decareau. “Once he completed his service to our country, he came home, married that girl and moved just three homes up from his parents’ home, where they still reside today. They are the parents of three sons and several grandchildren.”

Decareau has also been active in local government, serving on the Saugus Board of Appeals and also as Town Meeting member. Today, he maintains membership on the Retirement Board.

Prag “is deeply committed to her community”

Shirley Bogdan, the 2010 Saugus “Woman of the Year,” introduced Nancy Prag. “She is a lifelong resident of Saugus, where she was raised alongside her two brothers, Phil and Warren, by their mother, Ruth,” Bogdan said.

“Other than a few years spent in neighboring towns, she has always called Saugus home. She and her husband, Scott, settled in East Saugus after getting married, where they raised their daughter, Jenny, now an English teacher, who also attended Saugus Schools,” she said. “She studied Graphic Arts and has built a long and successful career as an advertising representative and supporting journalism throughout her career, working for more than 35 years with various local newspapers.”

Bogdan noted that Prag — a longtime member of SAVE and a member of the Saugus Tree Committee for more than 20 years (which she currently chairs) — “is deeply committed to her community and the environment.”

“She works hard to preserve and enhance the town’s green spaces. She is also a proud member of the Saugus Garden Club,” Bogdan said. “In her spare time, she enjoys walking the trails in the North Shore area, especially at Breakheart Reservation, gardening in her back yard, tending to the tree farm, painting landscapes, kayaking, beachcombing and spending time on Cape Cod, her favorite getaway.”

Prag said that the legacy of SAVE — which her mom was a part of from the beginning — continues in far-reaching projects for the town’s betterment. “At SAVE, we’re still rolling up our sleeves — organizing cleanups, preaching about recycling and the importance of conservation now and for our future; we host swap tables at Breakheart’s Annual Fall Festival to give gently used items a new home,” Prag said.

“We present owl and raptor shows for families at Breakheart’s Fall Fest and also at the Saugus Public library. We host educational programs and do whatever we can to keep trash out of the waste stream — for the beauty and health of Saugus,” she said.

“I’m extremely proud to be part of the Saugus Tree Committee, which grew out of SAVE. We just celebrated our 27th year as a Tree City Community. Together, we’ve planted, watered, weeded, mulched and donated hundreds of trees in locations across town — at Town Hall, at the library, ball fields, soccer fields and even a special Memorial Elm at the Iron Works to commemorate Saugus’ 200th anniversary,” she said. “For many years, we’ve held an Arbor Day poster contest for 5th graders, where the winners have a tree planted in their honor at their school. Of course, none of this is done alone. It takes a forest of people to make our town greener and better. I am so thankful for all the wonderful old and new friends I have made through Volunteering.”

State Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) and state Rep. Jessica Ann Giannino (D-Revere) presented Prag and Decareau citations on behalf of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) presented a citation from the Massachusetts Senate to Prag and Decareau. They also received a citation signed by the Saugus Board of Selectmen.

“Nancy Prag has worked tirelessly for this town for decades, whether it be on SAVE, the Tree Committee or the Garden Club,” Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta said.

“She’s just a phenomenal human being,” she said.

State Rep. Donald Wong said Decareau “has been so much for this community, I can’t say enough.”