KENNEBUNK — Friends and colleagues remembered former Maine legislator Ed Legg Monday as a smart man ”“ a brilliant man ”“ who knew the issues and knew history and was, as one of them put it, a “great representative of all the people of Maine.”
Legg, 71, died suddenly at his home on Sunday. He represented Kennebunk in the 124th Maine Legislature and had served on the board of trustees of the University of New England in Biddeford and was later a vice president there, among a host of other affiliations.
Diane Denk, former chairwoman of the Kennebunk Democratic Town Committee and who is seeking election in House District 9, said Legg was a friend.
“He was our friend, neighbor, former representative and our conscience,” she said. “He always cut through the muck to determine the essentials of any issue and was a great representative for all the people of Maine, regardless of party affiliation.”
Gary Connor, also of Kennebunk, was a colleague of Legg’s in the Maine House of Representatives, and is currently seeking a Senate seat in District 34.
“Serving with Ed in the Maine House was an unbelievable honor,” said Connor, in an email. “He was a brilliant man who willingly shared his genius with others. When you combine his professional and volunteer efforts with his work at the Statehouse, his impact on our community and Maine will extend far beyond his time with us. We are all better off because of Ed Legg.”
Legg sponsored and co-sponsored legislation that increased requirements for education, reporting and other issues regarding Lyme disease; ensured funds for a dental school in Maine; expanded health care coverage for children younger than 3 with disabilities; and helped end the practice of annual and lifetime caps on health insurance.
Legg sought to return to the Legislature in 2010 and 2012, but was unsuccessful.
In his retirement, he wrote a monthly political column for the York County Coast Star.
Legg hailed from Texas, but friends and colleagues said he knew the history of Maine as well as someone born and raised here. His online resume includes a stint as a chief executive officer and litigation manager at a private corporation. He had once been headmaster at a private school. He had served as a school wrestling coach in Kennebunk and was a director of the Kennebunk Land Trust, the Katahdin Institute and served as president of the Kennebunk High School Athletic Boosters, among other affiliations.
He held a degree in history from Harvard University, and a degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
UNE President Danielle Ripich, in a notice to the university community, said Legg was a passionate advocate for education as well as a personal champion for UNE. He served on the University of New England Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2001, and co-chaired the first major capital campaign after UNE’s merger with Westbrook College. He was vice president for university relations from 2001 through 2006.
Former legislator Chris Babbidge said he asked Legg, along with some others, to consider running for the Legislature in 2008 when he decided to opt out of the race. The caucus to nominate a successor was well attended, and there were three candidates in the running, Babbidge recalled. Legg emerged as the winner.
A longtime history and government teacher, Babbidge said he always enjoyed talking about history with Legg, and while they never served together in the Legislature, Babbidge said his former colleagues told him Legg always did his homework.
“I’ve lost a friend and confidante,” he said.
Denk said while his accent belied his Texas roots, his heart belonged to the Pine Tree State.
“He knew more about the history, the players, and the issues of Maine than most people whose pedigrees went back several centuries,” she said. “Ed would tackle the genesis of an issue, introduce the folklore, present the colorful characters and always render a well-founded opinion of what it all meant. His insight, and sense of the absurd and the essential, taught us something new or unusual and always enlightened us.”
Legg is survived by his wife, Ann Etherton Legg, their four adult children and several grandchildren.
Information about services was unavailable at press time.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less