Charles "Chuck" Mier, a former state Assembly sergeant-at-arms who owned a popular east Sacramento bar, The Club 2-Me, died July 16 of a heart attack, his family said. He was 74.

Mr. Mier was a gregarious fellow who counted powerful politicians and college students alike as friends. A fourth-generation Sacramentan, he was as well-known to many in town as the political and night-life institutions where he worked.

During the 1960s and 1970s, he was a sergeant-at-arms for the Assembly. He served as a close aide to legendary Speaker Jesse Unruh, worked behind the scenes with legislators and made many friends among lobbyists and staff members.

He left the state Capitol to own and operate The Club 2-Me on J Street. He and his wife, Karen, bought the business from Bill and Pauline Toomey in 1978.

Running a tavern was a natural fit for Mr. Mier, a jovial man with a genuine fondness for people. He enjoyed greeting customers, swapping jokes, telling stories about his days at the Capitol and filling empty glasses at the bar.

He operated the Club 2-Me with all the popular dive amenities, including worn bar stools, a pool table, shuffleboard, a jukebox and friendly bartenders. The crowd grew to include a mix of longtime regulars, politicians, law enforcement officers and college students.

"Everybody loved to hang around Chuck Mier," his friend Ross Relles said. "If you heard a joke from him 50 times, you'd still laugh. He had a fabulous personality and was very generous."

Mr. Mier was a fixture in east Sacramento as a lifelong resident and Little League coach and volunteer. He supported Sacramento State football and promoted and sponsored many softball teams.

Besides donating and raising money at Club 2-Me for community groups, he hosted police and Sheriff's Department Christmas parties. He supported wildlife conservation as a member of the California Waterfowl Association and was honored in 2002 for his efforts to raise money and provide hunting opportunities for disabled people.

"A friend who was disabled asked him to help, and Charles just got involved," said friend Paul Jensen, a former CWA board member. "That's just who he was."

Charles Edward Mier was born in 1937 and raised with three siblings in east Sacramento. His father, Jack, was a butcher for Clauss & Kraus meatpacker, and his mother, Ellen, was a homemaker.

He graduated from Sacramento High School, attended Sacramento City College and studied for a year at McGeorge School of Law before going to work for the state Assembly. He left the Capitol briefly to work at Cal Western Life Insurance Co.

He had three children with his wife of 54 years, the former Karen Davis. He was predeceased by a son, Bryan.

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