Laura Honey of Boothbay, who retired in 2014 after 50 years at Fisherman’s Wharf Inn in Boothbay Harbor, was recently honored by two organizations for her lifetime of service.

In late October at the annual meeting of the New England Inns and Resorts Association (NEIRA), Honey was awarded the Life Membership Award at a ceremony held at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in East Harwich, Mass. Honey served on the board of directors of NEIRA, which is an organization of inns and resorts from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Two weeks later, Honey was inducted into the Maine Innkeepers Association (MEIA) Hall of Fame at the MEIA's 94th annual Meeting and Conference at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown in Freeport on November 4 and 5. Honey also service on the board of directors of the MEIA, as well as the boards of the Maine Restaurant Association and the Maine Tourism Association.

At the NEIRA event, it was pointed out that Honey’s part-time job at Fisherman’s “became a lifelong labor of love. From part-time deck hand to assistant manager to special events coordinator, to GM, Laura epitomized the word service Her motto was SERVICE, translated into S for Smile ... Enthusiasm ... Respect ... Value (time with guests and team members) ... Integrity ... Courtesy ... Enjoy.”

At the MEIA event, Honey received the Gus Tillman Hall of Fame award from Bob Smith of Sebasco Harbor Resort. The award presentation included the statement, “Honey was the face of Fisherman’s Wharf for 50 years, and her dedication to service, employees and customers is well known in the industry. Honey served on the MEIA board for many years and received the Association’s Innkeeper of the Year Award in 2008,”

During her acceptance speech at the Maine conference, Honey thanked the board for the honor and pointed out the importance of dedication and hospitality in the service industry. In closing, Honey said of her retirement, “As I start up this new path in my life ... I look forward with anticipation as to what will be next. I sometimes wish I was 41 years of age and in the middle of a fantastic career rather than 81 and retired. However, I have had a fantastic run so far. When you consider retirement, I hope you are able to look back on your career with a great sense of accomplishment. I truly know I can. Life is a journey ... make it one of caring, happiness, love, great experiences, lots of fun and wonderful friendships.”

Honey's award was one of seven handed out at the MEIA conference, recognizing outstanding members of the tourism industry who had greatly contributed to the lodging/hospitality and tourism industry in the state.

Other awards included: Innkeeper of the Year, Jim Ostrowski, Innkeeper /Owner of the Inns at Blackberry Common in Camden; Gus Tillman Hall of Fame: Kathryn Weare, former Innkeeper/Owner of the Cliff House Resort & Spa in Ogunquit; Community Service Award: Darlene Ratte of the Best Western Plus in Waterville; Special Service Award: Tim Porta of the Migis Hotel Group; Chair’s Award: Jeanne Carpentier of Emerald Hospitality in Gray; and Allied Member of the Year: Greg Piper of Performance Food Service, Northcenter, Augusta.