George H. McEvoy was told he was meeting his partner Nancy Rowe's Kents Hill friends at Tugboat Inn the night of June 13, so he had better wear a suit jacket. However, Nancy took a detour to the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club, where he was surprised to learn he was receiving the Club's 2013 Lifetime Service Award.

McEvoy doubled over in shock as his walked into the clubhouse to see many family and friends, who applauded his arrival; the first to greet him was his Nasson College roommate Ben English.

After greeting those gathered to honor him, McEvoy and Rowe took a seat at the head table with Rotary president Jim Botti and Lifetime Service Award presenter Bruce Tindal.

After everyone enjoyed a delicious baked haddock dinner, Tindal delivered the tribute to McEvoy which was written by Rotarian Chip Griffin (read the whole tribute here).

Topics included McEvoy's Grafton, Massachusetts beginnings, his years studying at Nasson College in Springvale, his family, work life as a teacher and principal in Bowdoinham, and his commitments and generosity to the Boothbay region, including the Tugboat Inn and Restaurant, the Boothbay Region YMCA, Boothbay Railway Village, Ram Island Light Station, the Sherman Zwicker Museum, the Nellie G II, the Maine State Police, Windjammer Days and the current Footbridge Enhancement Project.

However, the stories shared by a few friends provided much insight into the man, “the historian, the benefactor and hero with a huge heart,” according to Griffin's tribute.

Holly Stover, whose father Manley Stover worked for McEvoy for 30 years at the Railway Village and other businesses, thanked McEvoy for coaxing her father out of Leavitt's Garage and “asking him to come work for you. You changed his life and direction.”

Bob Ryan, also a Nasson College graduate who has been the director at the Railway Village for decades, used words such as “concerned,” “greatness,” “thrifty,” “generous” and “loyalty” to describe McEvoy.

“He cares very deeply about his family and friends,” said Ryan. “I have been asked many times how it is to work for George. I don't consider myself working for George, but with him. It is a wonderful thing being part of the team.

“He takes great pride in helping others,” Ryan said. “One of the most things most endearing about George is that he's not afraid to take a risk. One of the biggest risks was taking the Sherman Zwicker to Newfoundland in August 1994, a 60-hour trip at sea.” Ryan said McEvoy and others spent many hours planning the details of the trip, from having enough fuel to making sure a medical person was on board for the trip.

“It was the adventure of a lifetime as we were greeted with such warmth at the various ports we visited there,” said Ryan.

To accentuate McEvoy's riskiness, Ryan passed around photos of McEvoy's adventures around the state collecting historical artifacts. One of the photos showed McEvoy driving a 1961 Chevy convertible along some railroad ties.

Ben English, his college roommate, talked about McEvoy's fascination with cars, trains (George set up an HO train set in their dorm apartment), history, and the many things they did while at Nasson.

“One night, after George had heard about a murder in another town, he asked me to take a ride with him so he could see the bullet holes in the door. He said, 'I've never seen bullet holes in a door before,' so we took the ride.

“Along the way, he spied a Model A for sale on the side of the road. He didn't buy it then, but he bought it later,” said English.

English spoke about several other incidences of their college days together, including stowing away a stray cat in their two-room apartment.

Ted Foss, a former State Police trooper who lived in the area for many years, said that McEvoy would often ride around with him on patrol and type up the incidence reports on his typewriter which he held in his lap.

“One night, when he was with me, I was patrolling the McKay Road in Edgecomb,” said Foss. “We were talking about the new album put out by then Boston Celtics announcer Johnny Most. Well, we were moving along when we came upon this car with one headlight out. I turned around and pulled the car over.

“I asked for the driver's license and registration and then turned over the paperwork to George. I said 'You're not going to believe who this is,' and George exclaimed 'It's Johnny Most!' Yes, it was Most who had a girlfriend living in the area.”

Foss shared other stories, including one trip to Atlantic City, N.J. and a boat trip through Chesapeake Bay – and the quick exit from there as the military was holding artillery practice.

Tom Pond, a friend since World War II days in Grafton, talked about McEvoy's “early driving days when he was 11 or 12,” and getting his mother's Packard sedan stuck on the family's lawn in late winter, early spring.

“The clutch was never the same after that incident,” said Pond.

Pond talked about incidences with another car his mother owned and about a neighborhood buddy, Bill Fisk, whose father owned an apple orchard.

“One day, Bill brought this big barrel around and we all took a look at it. We found out it had gasoline in it and that there was this opening in the top. Well, Bill, who was known as a trouble maker, a menace, decided to spark a cigarette lighter and held it over the top of the barrel. After the explosion, it got pretty quiet. It is a wonder that Bill didn't go to the big Ford dealership in the sky after that one,” said Pond.

After Nancy Rowe concluded the talks with a story about their recent trip to Washington, D.C. in an effort to sell the Sherman Zwicker, Tindal presented McEvoy with his Lifetime Service Award, as all stood and applauded the deserving recipient.

The stories about McEvoy, who has a great memory and a penchant for collecting anything and everything historical, could have gone on forever. But one story told by his college roommate, summed up the drive and caring nature of McEvoy.

“He still has the letter that I sent to him when we were first introduced to each other during our college days,” said English.

Then out of the audience came the call from one of his daughters, “He still has everything he's ever had.”