Ralph Baxter Sr. is being remembered this week as a tireless public servant.

A strong belief in community service and a deep commitment to his many students are the legacies left by Ralph Baxter Sr., a longtime resident of South Portland and a former mayor.

Baxter, 83, died last week surrounded by his family. Current and past city leaders remembered Baxter’s dedication to his adopted city this week, while his son fondly recalled the man who raised him.

A funeral service was held on Wednesday, after the Current’s deadline, at Hobbs Funeral Home. Those wishing to honor Baxter are encouraged to make donations to a scholarship fund set up in his name.

Baxter was born in Ashland and earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Maine, according to his obituary. He was a teacher and a school administrator in various school districts before moving to South Portland in 1976 to become the principal at the high school.

He and his wife of 61 years, Mary E. Rustin Baxter, raised three children “and formed a strong family unit, which Ralph treasured throughout his life,” Baxter’s obituary said.

In all, Baxter served on the South Portland City Council for nine years. He also served on many other committees and boards in the city and most recently was a key member of the Secondary Schools Facility Committee that planned the renovation and addition project at the high school.

According to his obituary, Baxter “was a man of many interests, including skiing, running and hiking.” He climbed Mt. Katahdin numerous times with family and friends and also loved spending time at the family camp on Little Sebago Lake in Gray, according to his son.

“Gardening, woodworking and house painting were additional pastimes of Ralph’s,” his obituary said. Baxter was also “an avid animal lover” who had many pets, “ranging from the biggest St. Bernard to the littlest hamster.”

In addition, Baxter was a huge sports fan who also liked to participate in sports, from basketball to baseball to skiing. His obituary said Baxter “especially loved baseball and the Boston Red Sox.”

This week, Ralph Baxter Jr. remembered his father as someone who truly cared about others and who would always put them first. Baxter Jr. said his father would think nothing of spending hours talking with constituents and former students.

“He was always understanding and he really listened. You were always heard,” he said. “And he never stopped advocating for students and the average person.”

He said his father “had a great spirit” and loved watching the sunset at the family camp on Little Sebago. “We spent a lot of time there and have a lot of great memories,” he added.

“We both love the city of South Portland and love to give back,” Baxter Jr. said, recalling that for at least one year he was serving on the school board while his father was serving on the City Council.

“We didn’t talk politics all that much, but when we did, we could laugh about it,” Baxter Jr. said.

He also said that serving on various committees with his father throughout the years was “a thrill.”

Baxter Jr. said he was the one who originally encouraged his father to run for the City Council.

“I told him, you are so well known and have a reputation for being fair,” Baxter Jr. said.

“My dad always taught us to give back and he just absolutely loved being part of this city,” he added.

What he’s most appreciated is the “outpouring on Facebook” and the phone calls he’s received since his father died on March 20.

“I’ve heard lots of stories about what a great man he truly was and how gentle and soft spoken he was,” he said.

He also remembers how his father was always able to get his students to step outside their comfort zone, like the time when he got football players at Bangor High School to participate in the school musical.

Baxter Jr. said one of the favorite stories he’s heard since his father died is that when longtime South Portland principal Allen Hawkins was recovering from a stem cell transplant and Baxter Sr. was recovering from open heart surgery, they both insisted on attending a parade featuring local students.

“Allen told me that he and my dad were hanging onto either side of a street sign for support and laughed about how much trouble they’d be in if their wives knew where they were. That was my dad all over,” Baxter Jr. said.

Linda Boudreau, who served on the City Council with Baxter, said this week that South Portland “has lost a really great man.”

Boudreau, who is now on the Planning Board, remembered how dedicated Baxter was to his family, as well as to his role as a city councilor.

“As far as his council work the outstanding thing about Ralph was how very much he cared about making the right decision and getting all the information he could possibly gather on an issue,” Boudreau said.

“He would spend considerable time on each issue, talking with everyone who might be able to give him insight. And even after a vote he would continue to think whether there was a better decision or another direction (we could have taken). He just always wanted to do what was right and tried not to let the politics of the issue overshadow the facts,” she added.

Mayor Linda Cohen remembers working closely with Baxter on South Portland’s centennial celebration in 1998.

“What I most liked about Ralph was the twinkle in his eye and his sense of humor,” Cohen said.

She said that Baxter was “very dedicated to the city” and “worked very hard,” but “he didn’t take himself too seriously,” even though he thoroughly enjoyed being on the City Council.

Councilor Tom Blake said that Baxter’s “concern and devotion to our children and their learning environment remains unmatched, even to this day” and said he had difficult shoes to fill when replacing Baxter on the council.

“Ralph had a calming demeanor, always examining the bigger picture,” Blake recalled.

Councilor Claude Morgan called Baxter “a tireless public servant” and said he had a knack “for being both firm and forgiving. And that balance was genuine.”

Morgan added that Baxter “had a lot of heart. I think it was an article of faith with him to be magnanimous to those with whom he disagreed. You couldn’t help but like him. He always encouraged you, even if you disagreed with him. You don’t find that quality very often in elected office.”

Suzanne Godin, the superintendent of schools in South Portland, admired Baxter as a community leader and for “always (being) a gentleman in his approach.” She also admired him because Baxter always “wanted what was best for the community.”

Councilor Maxine Beecher also remembered how dedicated Baxter was to the kids of South Portland.

“His leadership was based on the premise that all kids were valuable and therefore worth helping, especially to keep them in school,” she said.

“My fondest memories are about sitting on the City Council with him. Ralph didn’t make long speeches as a councilor. He had done his research and he would encapsulate his position in a few, very direct words,” Beecher recalled.

“Ralph was a kind man and would find time to help anyone. I could count on Ralph to explain his position and also to allow my thoughts to carry weight, too. His wife, Mary, was his biggest cheerleader. When I needed to reach Ralph, Mary would take great notes and I could count on his return call. This community has lost a valuable asset with Ralph’s passing.”

In addition to his son and wife, Baxter is survived by two daughters, Pamela Comoletti and Penny Gagnon, and three granddaughters.

Ralph Baxter

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