Longtime Scarborough resident and political activist Mark Sangster died Aug. 25, following a long-term illness.

Sangster, 51, was involved in numerous community projects, including work with the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook, the Scarborough Republican Town Committee and the Gov. William King Masonic Lodge in Scarborough.

“He was very bright,” said state Rep. Harold Clough, who knew Sangster through his work with the Masons and the Republicans. “He was interested in getting involved.”

According to an obituary written by Sangster’s friend Victor Berardelli, Sangster was an advertising manager for Accent Home and Garden Magazine and had spent 25 years in the advertising business, working for many New England publications, including the Current and other Maine newspapers.

Sangster was active in local and state politics. At the time of his passing he was vice president of the Scarborough Republican Town Committee. Members of the committee noted that Sangster used his expertise in advertising to advise them on media strategies.

“He was one of the backbone people of the Scarborough Republican Committee,” said committee member Sylvia Most.

In 2000, Sangster ran as the Republican candidate against incumbent Democrat Peggy Pendleton for the state Senate district that covered parts of Scarborough, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Dayton and Buxton.

In addition to politics, Sangster also was interested in helping animals. He served for eight years as president of the Board of Directors for the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook, where he started the first neuter-spay program for animals awaiting adoption. He also rescued old English sheepdogs.

Sangster and his wife Hilary were breeders of Maine coon cats and were instrumental in winning legislative designation of the breed as the official state cat of Maine. He competed on the American Kennel Club dog show circuit with pedigreed bearded collies.

Correction (Sept. 6) The date William King of Scarborough became Maine’s first governor was given incorrectly. King became governor in 1820.

He also was interested in history and was the co-founder of William King Day, a February observance of the birth date of the man who was instrumental in winning statehood for Maine. King, a Scarborough native, also was the state’s first governor in 1620.

“He was just a wonderful, wonderful, loving, caring person,” said his wife, Hilary Sangster. “He cared about all human beings,” as shown by his participation in so many things, she said, noting that “he believed in everything he was involved in.”

Sangster also was active in service organizations and was past master of the Gov. William King Masonic Lodge 219 in Scarborough. For many years he coordinated an American Red Cross community blood drive at the lodge.

Hollis Dixon, a member of the lodge, remembers Sangster as a person who was always willing to help others. One time, he said, Sangster and another member of the lodge stacked four cords of wood for a Mason’s widow.

“He was always willing to help someone,” he said. “Mark was a very good person.”

He was born in Portland and grew up in Cape Elizabeth, graduating from Cape Elizabeth High School. He was a cum laude graduate of the University of Southern Maine.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Hilary (Holmes) Sangster; his parents, Carol and Philip Sangster, formerly of Cape Elizabeth, now of Skidaway Island, Ga.; his mother-in-law, Jane F. Clifford of Scarborough and his brother-in-law, Peter F. Holmes, also of Scarborough.

A memorial fund has been set up in Sangster’s memory. Contributions can be sent to the Mark Sangster Fund for Palliative Care at Maine Medical Center, c/o Development Office, Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall St., Portland, ME 04102.

A celebration of Sangster’s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4, at the First Congregational Church on Black Point Road in Scarborough.