Alfred Porell, a familiar Westbrook figure known for his kindness, died unexpectedly Saturday at age 79.
Porell’s son, Ernest O. Porell II of Plymouth, Mass., said his father slipped, fell and hit his head on the floor while they were bowling about 10 days before his death. Porell suffered a brain hemorrage and had surgery. His son said his health and personality had rebounded, but he succumbed from heart failure.
“He was well-known. Everyone knew Freddy,” said his longtime pal, Paul LeConte. “He was a good friend.”
Porell was born, raised and educated in Westbrook. The son of a long-ago mayor, Ernest Porell, he was a lifelong resident of the city. He owned the Armory apartments with 29 tenants in downtown Westbrook.
Paul Council, manager at the apartments, said this week there are no plans to close the apartments building. “No one is losing their place,” Council said.
Porell made several bids for mayor and alderman from Ward 3, but he was unsucessful. “I never won an election,” Council said he recalled Porell saying.
Council said Porell loved his fellow man and was kind. “He went the extra mile” with tenants, Council said, describing Porell as a devout Catholic. “Church was important to him.”
Porell enjoyed sports and played semi-professional football. He was a Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan. Council said Porell had been looking forward to the Patriots game Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
LeConte recalled that Porell liked harness racing and once owned a couple of horses. Porell enjoyed visiting the stables and grandstands at Scarborough Downs and the former Lewiston Raceway.
LeConte recalled a time when he had accompanied Porell to Scarborough to pick up a horse. But the horse refused to be led onto the trailer. “So we backed him in,” LeConte said with a laugh.
Porell enjoyed dining at area restaurants and was a frequent customer at Profenno’s and often ate breakfast at Guidi’s Diner.
“Freddy had been coming into Guidi”s forever,” said the diner’s owner, Josh Rogan.
Porell ate lunch and dinner almost every day at Profenno’s Restaurant. Meat loaf was one of Porell’s favorites and Pete Profenno said Porell was an excellent tipper.
“The nicest guy in the world,” Profenno said.
Friends remember Porell as the man who knew the city. “He knew all about Westbrook,” said Rogan, recalling Porell always wore a hat. “He’s been a big part of the community.”
Porell read local papers and stayed informed on politics. “He thought urban renewal was death of the city,” Council said.
During urban renewal, Porell, a former commander of Westbrook Memorial Post 197 of the American Legion, worked to relocate the its headquarters.
“Freddy was instrumental in moving the post from Main Street to Conant Street in 1976,” said Dave Martin, a friend and past post commander.
Porell stayed active with the post and was chairman of the life members unit. Porell served two tours with the U.S. Army. He served in Turkey, Greece , Alaska and Panama with Army intelligence during the Cold War. Council thought Porell’s license plate was his laundry number during his military career.
Council said Porell was good-hearted. Each Memorial Day, Porell placed flowers on the grave of a woman named Annie, who had died without family. Council said Annie didn’t have much of a grave marker. “He adopted the grave,” Council said.
In addition to his son Ernest and his daugther-in-law, Susan, he survived by another son, Michael Osgood of California; a daughter, Theresa Vance, Florida; three grandchildren; two great grandchildren; a brother, Peter Porell, and a cousin, Robert Porell, both of Westbrook. A funeral mass was celebrated Wednesday at St. Hyacinth’s Church.
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