CUMBERLAND – Harold “Pete” Vincent Bickmore, III, 65, of Cumberland, passed away peacefully at Gosnell Memorial Hospice on July 26, 2023, surrounded by his family after a long battle with cancer.

Pete was born in Portland, on Nov. 21, 1957, the son of Harold V. and Hattie (Cutler) Bickmore, Jr. Pete grew up in Cumberland, where his fascination with the fire and police started and eventually turned into decades in law enforcement as an FBI Special Agent and most recently as the Chief of Police back in his home state of Maine.

Pete joined the Cumberland Fire Department at the age of 15 and never ventured far from his love of firefighting. After graduating from Greely High School in 1977, he attended what is now called SMCC and continued to the University of Maryland where he graduated with a degree in Fire Science.

After graduating from the University of Maryland, Pete joined the Cumberland Police Department and the Scarborough Police Department as a reserve officer, becoming full time in 1982. It wouldn’t be long before he convinced his childhood best friend/brother Mike Edes to join him at the police department in Scarborough. Pete spent 26 years as an FBI agent and was assigned to offices in Boston, Mass.; Cleveland, Ohio; Newark, N.J.; Iraq, and headquarters in Washington D.C. He was the head of the Bureau’s Domestic Terrorism Unit before retiring. He then became head of security for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.

Pete’s love of family and Maine drew him back home to Maine to live out his dream as a police chief. At the same time, Pete became a reserve police officer in Scarborough patrolling Prouts Neck before retiring in October 2022 after his diagnosis. Pete was known as a “cop’s cop”. He will be forever remembered for his kindness and generosity, his dry sense of humor, high pitched laugh, but most of all, for his deep devotion to his family. He was always optimistic, respected by all who knew him, and he was always ready to share a story and loved a good laugh.

He is preceded in death by his father, Harold, mother, Hattie; sisters Ellen and Kristen, and brother-in-law, Francis “Chip” Downey.

He is survived by his daughters Lauren Brown (Jacob) of Scarborough and Meghan Henchel (Ben) of Falmouth, sisters Brenda Bidwell of Venice, Fla., and Susan Downey of Portland; nephews Francis “Jake” Downey of Boston, Mass. and John (Taylor) Downey of Cumberland; a great-niece, Piper Downey; and grand dog and companion, Rudy Brown.

Visiting hours celebrating Pete’s life will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday Aug. 2, at the Conroy-Tully Walker South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3 at Wentworth School, 20 Quentin Dr., Scarborough. To view the livestream of Pete’s service, please visit https://www.facebook.com/conroytullywalker. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony at The Landing, 353 Pine Point Rd., Scarborough. To view Pete’s memorial page or to share an online condolence, please visit http://www.ConroyTullyWalker.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the

Gosnell Memorial Hospice House,

Hospice of Southern Maine,

180 U.S. Route 1,

Scarborough, ME 04074

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