Paul Emery, a former city councilor in Westbrook and longtime real estate broker who devoted years of public service to the community, died Wednesday after a two-month fight against cancer. He was 74.
Mr. Emery served three terms on the City Council from 2009 to 2015, representing Ward 3. He lost his seat last November after making offensive comments about Gov. Paul LePage during a public meeting the previous April to discuss a Democratic tax plan.
Emery asked a question, then made the remarks about LePage. “If he goes to see his maker it wouldn’t hurt my feelings a bit,” Emery said.
“In some countries assassination is a political strategy,” he continued, “but unfortunately not here.”
Many called for Emery’s resignation, but he refused to step down. He later apologized.
“Paul was a very passionate individual,” said City Administrator Jerre Bryant. “You always knew where Paul stood on an issue. He never told someone what they wanted to hear. It got him in a jam and that was unfortunate. But it isn’t reflective of his lifetime of service to others.”
Mr. Emery previously served on the Westbrook Planning Board, the Walker Memorial Library’s Board of Regents, and the Greater Portland Transit District. More recently, he began volunteering at My Place Teen Center.
Westbrook city officials on Friday praised Mr. Emery’s years of service to the community.
“Paul was a great community servant that always put the needs of others first,” City Councilor Michael Foley said in a statement. “His boisterous and caring presence will be missed by those he served.”
City Councilor Brendan Reilly echoed those sentiments.
“I’m so sad to hear about Paul,” Reilly said in statement. “He was incredibly dedicated to service and to Westbrook. He was a very valued member of our planning board and our city council and of our parish at St. Anthony’s. I will miss his big heart and his booming laugh.”
He and his wife of 51 years, Patricia Emery, raised four children and had lived in Westbrook since 1993.
In his early years, Mr. Emery worked as a controller at National Distributors in South Portland. He left the company after 25 years to pursue a career in real estate. Since 1998, he worked for various agencies selling real estate across southern Maine. Most recently, Mr. Emery was an associate broker/Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.
His wife said he loved real estate.
“He liked working with different people and helping people find homes that worked for them,” his wife said.
One of the highlights of Mr. Emery’s life was his service to the Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club. He served as past president and started a local Gift of Life program. He received two Harris awards for his service.
“He wanted to give back,” his wife said of Emery’s commitment to the Rotary. “He found that he was good at certain things and liked being able to help with projects.”
On Aug. 16, Mr. Emery was diagnosed with cancer. By Oct. 14, he had entered the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough.
His wife said she didn’t expected him to decline so quickly.
“It was so much faster than either of us were told,” she said. “It was so fast. I’m still reeling from this.”
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