Najeeb Lotfey of Portland, a prominent certified public accountant and retired managing partner at Macdonald Page & Co., died Sunday after a brief illness. He was 81.

Mr. Lotfey worked at Macdonald Page for 32 years. He specialized in taxation and served as a consultant for many local businesses.

He was also a mentor for numerous accountants, among them Ralph Hendrix, chief operating officer at Macpage, as the South Portland accounting firm is now known. Hendrix said Mr. Lotfey was dedicated to the firm and instrumental in its growth and success.

“He was legendary,” Hendrix said. “No one outworked him. He was very committed to his clients and the firm. He was a man of great character. … In the accounting community, everyone knows Naj.”

Mr. Lotfey’s obituary, which will be published in Thursday’s newspaper, says he retired in 1995, although a son, John Lotfey of Falmouth, said his father kept a few clients and worked as a consultant until about a year ago. His son chuckled Tuesday, saying retirement meant his father worked a 14-hour day instead of a 16-hour day.

“He was a workaholic,” John Lotfey said. “He gave 110 percent to everything he did, both at work and outside of work. … He always gave it his all.”

He was married to Barbara Lotfey for 57 years.

Mr. Lotfey was remembered by his family this week as a humble and hard-working man who valued his family time.

His son noted a camping trip he and his father once made to Rangeley.“As hard as he worked, he always had time for us,” his son said. “He mentioned (the trip to Rangeley) every year for the past 40 years. As a young boy, it was a real nice bonding experience.”

In his later years, Mr. Lotfey enjoyed woodworking, making jewelry and fixing lamps at his son’s business.

He immersed himself in family and the community, and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and his other son, Michael Lotfey of Portland. “The grandchildren were his world,” John Lotfey said.

Mr. Lotfey was active in numerous organizations, including the Finance Authority of Maine and the Portland Rotary Club.

John Lotfey said his father felt strongly about giving back to the community.

“He loved helping people,” his son said. “He grew up poor. His parents were immigrants. They didn’t have a lot of money. He was a self-made man. He considered himself lucky.”

Visiting hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St. in Portland. A funeral mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 307 Congress St. in Portland. The burial will follow at Brooklawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the Portland Rotary Club Charitable Fund, P.O. Box 1755, Portland, Me. 04104.

Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:mcreamer@pressherald.com