Charlie St. Clair, the easygoing, frequently smiling, longtime executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association and the brand ambassador of the annual Laconia Motorcycle Week rally, died Saturday.
On Aug. 4, the state representative from Laconia was riding west with a companion who was on a separate motorcycle, when St. Clair’s rear tire blew out on Interstate 90 in Avon, Ohio.
St. Clair, who was on the way to attending his 50th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, laid his bike down on the highway and suffered extensive, serious injuries. He was taken to the intensive-care unit at the MetroHealth Medical Center Main Campus in Cleveland.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that Charlie passed away,” Laconia Motorcycle Week Association members said in an email. “Despite every effort, his injuries were too severe, and he ultimately passed away from heart failure.
“(St. Clair was) incredibly fortunate to have so many friends and family. To everyone who called, prayed, sent messages/cards, and surrounded Charlie with so much love and positive energy, we cannot thank you enough for being there for him and for us.”
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services is handling funeral arrangements, which had not yet been finalized as of Sunday morning.
“There is something especially meaningful about being entrusted to bring home someone who gave so much to his community and lived life doing what he loved,” funeral home officials wrote on their Facebook page.
Laconia Mayor Mike Bordes said St. Clair will be remembered at Monday’s City Council meeting with a moment of silence.
Bordes succeeded St. Clair, who had been interim Laconia mayor after Andrew Hosmer resigned the post in September 2025 to become city manager in Lebanon. Bordes, who chairs the 18-member Belknap County Delegation, also worked with St. Clair for two terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
Although St. Clair was, for a time, the lone Democratic state rep from Laconia and from Belknap County, Bordes, a Republican, said they got along well.
St. Clair was a candidate in the Nov. 3 statewide election, but Bordes said he was uncertain if Democrats will name a new candidate or if there will be a write-in campaign to succeed St. Clair.
Laconia Motorcycle Week, “was his baby for 35 years,” Bordes said.
St. Clair was appointed executive director of the rally in 1991.
“He was very easy to work with,” Bordes recalled. “He was always a kind-hearted guy. This is a huge loss for Laconia. Everybody knew who Charlie was. His legacy will live on in the city especially with bike week.”
Bordes said he wasn’t allowed to call Motorcycle Week “Bike Week” in St. Clair’s presence. St. Clair was famous for saying “Bike Week” was an event held annually down in Daytona Beach, Florida, not Laconia.
Asked about St. Clair’s accomplishments, Bordes replied, “He definitely did a lot of good in his life. … He never let (political conflicts) get to him.”
Inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame in 2008, St. Clair was also named the Promoter of the Year by the American Motorcyclist Association in 2017.
St. Clair owned the Laconia Antique Center and had hosted “Today in Focus,” a long-running program on Lakes Region Public Access along with Jennifer Anderson, the deputy director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association.
In the New Hampshire House, he was a member of the Transportation Committee.
On her X account, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen wrote she was “heartbroken to hear about the passing of Charlie St. Clair. He was the heart of Laconia Bike Week and a passionate advocate for his community as a State Representative. Billy and I are keeping his family and friends in our thoughts.”
In a post on Facebook, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said that as a state representative, St. Clair “dedicated his life to serving the people of Laconia — from serving on the Planning Board to representing the city at the State House.”
“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 added. “Joe and I are praying for Charlie’s family, friends, and fellow riders as they mourn his loss.”
Former Ward 6 Laconia City Councilor Tony Felch, who knew St. Clair when he was a member of the former Lakeside Sharks Motorcycle Club of Laconia, said he was “very saddened and at a loss for words” after learning of his friend’s death.
“He was an awesome guy who did a lot for the city of Laconia,” Felch said. “He loved Laconia and he was nice to whomever he met, whether you agreed with him or not. He did have a good life ... anytime he was on his motorcycle. He died doing what he loved. He’ll be missed. Charlie is the reason why Motorcycle Week is what it is.”