BANGOR, Maine — A prominent Bangor man has died at the age of 83.
Major General Nelson Eckley Durgin died in his home on Friday, September 11.
A Bangor Daily News obituary says Major General Durgin served in the Air National Guard of Maine for 35 years.
In 1991, he was appointed as Maine's Adjutant General and Commissioner for Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management until retiring in 1995.
He also served on the Bangor City Council from 2010 to 2017 and served on the board of directors at St. Joseph's Hospital for 23 years.
Durgin was also a 2 Those Who Care winner in 2008 for his volunteer work with many different agencies in Bangor focused on improving health care and safety — especially for the elderly.
"The greatest testament to Maj. Gen. Durgin's leadership is that it was not confined to the military or one area of his life. He was a community leader in so many ways that we all got to experience the tremendous impacts that he made, both in and out of uniform. He was a great man, one who will be fondly remembered by everyone who knew him," Maj. Gen. Douglas Farnham, the Adjutant General, said.
U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued this statement on Maj. Gen. Nelson Eckley Durgin, saying:
“I first met Nelson when we were both in the cabinet of Governor John McKernan, and Nelson was Maine’s Adjutant General. He was a leader of such integrity who was dedicated to serving others, a quality that defined his entire life, including his 35 years in the Maine Air National Guard, his more than two decades on the board of St. Joseph Hospital, and his years on the Bangor City Council. My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Carla and their children.”