Eddie Povich, sitting at the end of the table in the rear of this photo, celebrates his fifth birthday in 1952. Big brother Michael Povich is opposite Eddie in the foreground. A young Bette Pierson, then Bette Beal, sits to Michael’s left. Across from Bette is her sister Margie Beal, who became Margie Nichols.—PHOTO COURTESY OF BETTE PIERSON

ELLSWORTH — The community is grieving the sudden loss of Eddie Povich, owner of Mike’s Country Store.

Eddie Povich

“His death is a true loss for the city of Ellsworth,” said City Council Chairman John Phillips after a moment of silence the council observed during its meeting Monday. Governor John Baldacci ordered that flags in Ellsworth be flown at half-mast on Wednesday, March 19, the day of Povich’s funeral.

Family, friends, customers and store employees are heart-broken.

Tammy Carney worked for Povich for nearly 20 years.

“I’ve known him a long time, and I’m just totally crushed,” Carney said. “People have no idea what kind of man he is. I’ve never encountered such a kind soul. I think he’s the greatest loss this community has had. I can’t even begin to say how he saved my life. I’m just heartbroken.”

Carney said Povich was always giving her extra money for her children, who are now grown, or making her take home groceries from the store.

“When I got divorced, I had no child care,” Carney said. “My children were welcomed. He’d send them next door to his mother’s.

“Everybody knew him as this accomplished man but he was the most gentle, giving person I’ve ever met.”

Carrie Jones of Ellsworth is running for the Maine House of Representatives seat that Povich vacated once he reached his term limit in 2002.

“The thing about Eddie is that he cared passionately not just about politics...but also about people,” Jones said. “You’d walk into his store and he’d know your name. You’d see him at an event and he’d ask about your family. You’d call him and he’d call right back.”

Bette Pierson (formerly Beal) of Ellsworth and her sister grew up with Eddie and his brother Michael. Their parents were close and had neighboring camps on Georges Pond.

Pierson said the four spent summer days swimming and playing and catching frogs in the swamp.

“The boys bickered a lot,” Pierson said. “One time Michael rammed Eddie with ‘the Krud’ (a leaky old skipjack that we had to continuously bail to keep afloat). And they were always trying to drown each other. Sometimes Margie and I got caught in the crossfire and sometimes they went after us. My dad always said that’s why we learned to swim so fast — so we could get away from them.

“Eddie and his family were so much a part of the fabric of our lives — from childhood piano recitals to bar mitzvahs to Passover celebrations to family trips to Boston to being stuck in the back seat of the car while our mothers shopped for African violets,” Pierson said.

Curb Service

Povich ran Mike’s Country Store, the convenience store started by his grandfather, since 1981 when his father, Shirley, passed away.

“The store had that personal touch,” said his older brother Michael Povich, who is district attorney for Hancock and Washington counties. “I know he would hold court, chat with people.”

Indeed, stopping at Mike’s for whatever — a newspaper, candy, a beer or a slice of pizza — meant also updating Povich on your life and discussing current events.

He took delivery of The New York Times and other newspapers for several area residents. They included the late Viola Sargent, who would pull up to the curb, toot her horn and wait for Povich or another employee to run the papers out to her.

Daily visits to the store have been a habit for numerous downtown employees and others.

Nancy Larsen of Ellsworth has been making near daily trips to Mike’s for the 20 years she’s worked at The Ellsworth American.

“I would go down every weekday morning before work and get my water…and if he didn’t have it, I’d give him a hard time,” Larsen said. “But he’d order anything you wanted.”

“He would always ask about my granddaughters,” said Larsen. “He cared about his customers. Tried to make them happy. I’ll miss him.”

Larry Fernald, who works at Union Trust, has picked up a Boston Globe at Mike’s for 15 years.

“I visited his store daily to pick up the newspaper and we had some good conversations about life and everything in general,” said Fernald.

Fernald served with Povich on the board of the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce, of which Povich was president in 1986.

“He was great fun to work with,” said Fernald. “He had a great sense of humor. He paid attention to business.”

Martin Panther, a clerk at Mike’s, said, “Eddie was probably one of the best bosses anyone could have. I worked for him for six years. I’ll miss him a lot. He was so balanced with all of us. He never asked too much of any one person.”

State Legislature Service

Povich, a Democrat, served as state representative for the Ellsworth district from 1994 to 2002. One of his proudest accomplishments was introducing legislation that created The Next Step Domestic Violence Project, his brother said.

Attorney Roberta Kuriloff was one of The Next Step’s founding members along with Eddie Povich’s wife, Mary.

“Eddie was instrumental in helping us with that,” Kuriloff said.

Laurie Fogelman, director of The Next Step, described Povich as “an important figure in the fight against domestic violence.”

“It’s such a shock and a shame to lose him at such an early age,” Fogelman said.

Michael Povich said he still hears in Augusta that his brother was one of the best co-chairmen of the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

He was “very strong on constituent services,” said Povich. “He worked hard at it.”

Hancock County Democratic Committee Chair Dexter Bellows recalled a memory of Povich in the Hancock County Democratic e-Letter.

“A friend who was running in a neighboring district told me he knew Eddie was going to win, when he heard back from a constituent that Eddie had visited his out-of-the-way home not once but twice in his rounds of door knocking,” Bellows said. “Eddie also opened his home often for visiting candidates, and instituted the Ice Cream Social, a fun and fund-raising event held in late summer that provided Hancock County Dems the chance to talk with elected officials and contribute to the work of the HCDC. Many years later this has evolved into the Great Democracy Auction and Ice Cream Social, still our most important event of the year.”

Pierson said while Povich was in office he arranged for Governor John Baldacci to take a boat ride down the Union River with Pierson’s husband, Frank, so the Governor could see how much the harbor needed to be dredged.

Baldacci had planned to attend Povich’s funeral service, which was to be held yesterday, Wednesday, March 19.

Among those at Tuesday evening’s calling hours was one of Maine’s most prominent Democrats, U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud.

Concern for Friends

“Most recently, when Union Trust announced the plan to merge into Camden National Eddie called me to talk about it,” Pierson said. “I thought he was concerned about his stock but that wasn’t it at all. He wanted to know how it would affect me and all the people who worked at the bank.”

Povich leaves behind his wife, Mary, stepdaughter Jody Colson, who will run the store, her husband, David, and three grandchildren: Eryn Elyssa, Skyler Mae and Wilder Allen Colson. They called their grandfather “Zadie,” Yiddish for “grandfather.” The license plate on his truck reads “Zadie.”

Povich said his relationship with his younger brother was one based on “mutual respect and caring.” The two had different interests — and political persuasions — Michael Povich is a Republican.

Povich spoke about the dawning realization that his younger brother has died.

“He’s not on vacation,” Povich said. “He’s gone.”