I will always remember Linda Bean as Maine’s quintessential “happy warrior.” And make no mistake, she was a warrior.
And a visionary.
Way back in 1979, she recognized that journalism was dead in Maine. That realization prompted her to found The Maine Paper, a conservative weekly that only survived two and a half years before she pulled the plug. I was honored to have several opinion columns published during the paper’s brief tenure.
But Linda wasn’t the least bit discouraged by that unsuccessful business venture. She soldiered on with a smile on her face. Over the next 40+ years, she invested in Maine people and helped create thousands of jobs in the fishing and hospitality industries. Her unique Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine brand is just part of her enduring legacy to all of us and to future generations of Mainers.
When she accepted Maine Policy Institute’s annual Freedom & Opportunity Award three years ago, her genuine humility and her love for Maine were evident. She began by saying that she wasn’t sure she should accept the award, because, she said, “I’m pretty controversial, and when my name appears in the paper it’s usually in the middle of a storm of controversy.”
The happy warrior was at the podium.
She paid tribute to the frontier men and women who preceded us in northern New England and built the farming, fishing, and forestry industries that remain the bedrock of Maine’s economy. Linda told us that those pioneer ancestors deserve the Freedom & Opportunity award.
She spoke of “the saga of the little guy, the little man” that she so admired. All the unnamed men and women she worked with and traveled with and met on the campaign trail… they deserve this award, she said.
She concluded her remarks with a reminder that without our trust in God, none of us is free.
I’m so glad I was in the ballroom to see and hear Linda share her passion for our beloved state. I invite you to watch and listen by clicking HERE.
In closing, I want to share the Christmas greeting I received from Linda, Veronica, and Naomi a few months after the Maine Policy awards luncheon:
Thank you, Linda.
Hon. Lawrence Lockman
Maine House of Representatives, 2012-2020
Co-founder & President
Maine First Project