Rockport honors Dave Jackson, Jim Lea for years of service to the town
Dave Jackson is surprised and honored to be the recipient of the Rockport 2020 Town Report dedication July 28 in the Town Office.
Barbara Lea and her daughter, Cynthia, receive the in memoriam dedication at the Rockport Town Office July 28. Behind them stand Select Board members Denise Munger, Debra Hall and Jeff Hamilton.
Barbara Lea and her daughter, Cynthia.
Jim Lea
Dave Jackson is surprised and honored to be the recipient of the Rockport 2020 Town Report dedication July 28 in the Town Office.
Barbara Lea and her daughter, Cynthia, receive the in memoriam dedication at the Rockport Town Office July 28. Behind them stand Select Board members Denise Munger, Debra Hall and Jeff Hamilton.
Barbara Lea and her daughter, Cynthia.
Jim Lea
ROCKPORT — To say that Dave Jackson was pleased would be an understatement; rather, he was astounded and deeply moved that the Town of Rockport had chosen him as the 2020 Town Report honoree, an annual designation that is itself a long-honored tradition in the State of Maine. Any town report dedication carries a collective and standing ovation for that person’s commitment and service to a local community. In other words, it is no small potatoes.
Jackson arrived at the Rockport Town Office July 28, not sure why he had been summoned there, but entered, appreciative of the air conditioning that lent relief against the oppressive humidity of of a hot spell. Accompanied by his wife, Nancy, he settled into a chair, expecting a meeting over some municipal issue. Rockport has many meetings, and Jackson has served on a number of committees, always advocating for the town and its people.
But then, Rockport Select Board Chairwoman Debra Hall stood beside him, plaque in hand, and said the 2020 Town Report had been dedicated to him.
“Rockport has benefitted from your generous contributions of time and effort for many years,” she said. “You have exemplified the concept of service to your town and your neighbors.”
In the town report, the dedication reads:
Dave and his twin brother, John, were born in New York City in 1931. He lived in Westport, Connecticut, for about 10 years, then moved to the north shore of Massachusetts, living in Byfield, Ipswich, Marblehead, and even Children’s Island.
After graduating from Marblehead High School, he joined the United States Marine Corps and was stationed for two years at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, then went on to attend Brown University, graduating in 1956 with a degree in psychology. Brown is where he met his wife, Nancy.
For 15 years Dave was assistant publisher of National Fisherman and President/CEO of the Fish Expo trade show.
In 1982, Dave started his own business as co-founder of the North West Flower Garden Show and founder of the Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show.
He also enjoyed a part-time role in advertising sales for Down East Magazine and has had a long association with Ocean Navigator magazine and the Ocean Navigator School of Seamanship.
Working part-time as Sales Manager for McNabb Marketing Resources, Inc., in Camden, he is also Director of the Camden Amphitheatre and Harbor Park, managing the day-to-day operations. Dave persevered to obtain National Historic Landmark designation for the Amphitheatre and Camden Public Library in 2013.
Dave’s many volunteer activities include being an incorporator of Sea Education Association, an institution that offers hands-on experience in sailing at sea to college and high school students, and a participant in the Community Rowing Project with Atlantic Challenge in Rockland.
He’s a two-time Paul Harris Fellow of the Camden Rotary Club, a member of the Camden Downtown Business group, and has spent many hours helping Coastal Mountains Land Trust and Merryspring Nature Center.
In Memoriam James Alden Lea
The Town of Rockport is honoring another longtime resident this year, Jim Lea, who died in 2018 but not before earning the accolades of a town appreciative of his work.
On July 28, the town welcomed his wife, Barbara, and their daughter, Cynthia, to the Brenda Richardson Meeting Room at the town office to surprise Barbara with the in memoriam dedication.
Brushing back tears, she thanked Select Board members Debra Hall, Denise Munger and Jeff Hamilton for recognizing her late husband’s contributions to Rockport. Board Chairwoman Hall told her that Rockport had been blessed to have Jim Lea as one of its residents.
“As a person who valued history and the preservation of it, who fiercely believed in maintaining the beauty and uniqueness of this town, all citizens owe him a debt. For without people like Jim, the beauty and spirit that drew us all to this wonderful corner of the world would disappear.”
The town report page to him said: Long-time resident James Alden Lea was born on September 30, 1936 in Warren, Ohio, and passed away on August 9, 2018. James saw the beauty and the specialness of Rockport from the moment he and his wife, Barbara, stumbled upon it in 1972, returning to the Midwest from a trip around Nova Scotia.
Within six months they had packed up and moved the family to what James knew was the most beautiful little town ever to sit beside a Maine harbor.
Although he was a world traveler, James was a small-town man at heart. An avid antique collector and gifted craftsmen earning his living making reproduction furniture and period clocks, James respected, and valued history and he was devoted to the town of Rockport and the preservation of its past.
He and Barbara purchased the 17th century sea captain’s home on the corner of West and Pascal and spent 10 years painstakingly restoring it. Upon that project’s completion, they purchased the home on the opposite corner and began its restoration. Both are beautiful stately homes today.
Although an intellect and progressive innovator who looked to the future, James wanted to preserve the past and never met an older anything, or anyone, he did not want to nurture and coax back to its full glory.
At the same time he delighted in the influx of young families moving to the area, the summer tented events at the harbor, the concerts where the old elementary school had been, and the new and thriving businesses that appeared. He wanted the town and its residents to prosper while remaining a small Maine village. James was instrumental in the initiatives to restore the Rockport Opera House and the lime kilns on the harbor.
Working closely with Mary Cramer and the Historical Society, they instituted the date plaques now seen on many Rockport homes. In 2002 James founded the Midcoast Maine Sports Car Club and was an active member of the Owls Head Transportation Museum.
Having been inspired by the game boards he had seen in Switzerland, James installed a life-sized chess board that sits above Rockport Harbor. James was involved in town politics and was a fierce defender and advocate for zoning restrictions to maintain the integrity of Rockport. Well known in town, James called everyone “friend.”
He prided himself on the fact that his post office box was 25—a low number that he felt indicated he had been around a while. His family knew that he secretly wished he held a post office box in the single digits.
He had many passions and interests and lived a full and fascinating life, enjoying scuba diving, rock climbing, spelunking, sailing, birding, archaeology, antique collection, and British car racing.
James was a true man about town, a community member who contributed so much. He passed away right where he wanted to be, at his home in Rockport, and is greatly missed by the many good friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues he leaves behind. Rest easy James, you left your mark on the town you loved so much.”
Dave has also spent many volunteer hours helping people with developmental disabilities, having served on the board of the Pine Tree Society for Crippled Children and, more locally, as a board member of Coastal Opportunities in Camden for more than 30 years.
Dave has three children who all attended Camden-Rockport schools, and he has served two terms on the School Committee and was an active member of the Strom Auditorium Committee. Dave has been an active member of the First Congregational Church of Camden, taking on the unsung task of scheduling ushers for church services for many years. He’s a past member of the Rockport Boat Club.
While living in the Town of Rockport for the past 30+ years, he has held and continues to hold many active roles in town government, including Budget Committee, Parks Committee, Elementary School Building Committee, and the Rockport Opera House Committee. Dave is one of those people who make life in the towns of Rockport and Camden better for all of us.
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