An Edgecomb man is being honored for his contributions to the Kennebec Valley. Le Club Calumet will honor Richard O’Connor on May 9 for his decades of community service. Le Club Calumet named O’Connor its 2015 Outstanding Citizen Award.

Le Club Calumet is a Franco-American club extending friendship across Augusta. It was established in 1965. And each year, the club honors a resident of non-French Canadian descent who has made a significant contribution to the community.

O’Connor, who retired as O’Connor GMC’s vice president in 2005, said he was surprised to hear about his selection as Outstanding Citizen of the Year.

“I answered the phone and was shocked to hear I was being honored,” O’Connor said. “I’ve been retired for a few years, but I’m still active with the bank. And good deeds don’t stop because you’re retired.”

O’Connor grew up in Augusta. He joined the family business, O’Connor GMC in Augusta, in 1971. He and his brother transformed the dealership from 15 employees to one with over 300 by 2005.

O’Connor has served on the Kennebec Savings Bank board of directors for over 40 years. He is the board’s chairman. During that time, the bank’s deposits grew from $23 million to $800 million.

In 1994, the bank established the Kennebec Savings Foundation under his tenure. The foundation supports local charities. It is responsible for paying out over $500,000 annually as part of its “community dividend program,” according to a Le Club Calumet press release.

O’Connor has also worked on several community service projects throughout the Kennebec Valley. He was the chairman Augusta’s third bridge project. He raised money for Team Cony. The fundraising effort resulted in building a larger gymnasium for the new Cony High School. 

He has also participated in raising money for the $10 million new Augusta YMCA, and several academic and athletic projects for his alma mater, Kents Hill High School. The O’Connor family has a strong connection to the prep school. O’Connor, his brother, wife and children all attended the school located 14 miles from Augusta.

O’Connor contributed to several campus projects. The fundraising efforts have expanded the school’s academic and athletic offerings. Kents Hill has 90 employees with $4.5 million payroll. The athletic complex includes the largest field turf in the state, a hockey arena, and skiing facility.

“It’s a wonderful school which provides a significant contribution to the local community through sharing services so other school teams can use the field turf during the spring,” O’Connor said. “It also contributes to the local economy through the construction of new facilities and employment at the school.”

O’Connor said he is proud of both of his accomplishments in business and community projects.

“I’ve always felt it was important to give back to the community,” he said. “Anytime there is a worthwhile endeavor it’s important to step up and take care of it.”

When O’Connor retired, he and his wife, Joanne, moved to Edgecomb. The couple is active with the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay and the Edgecomb Congregational Church. O’Connor has served as a  CMBG board of directors for nine years. The gardens attract over 100,000 visitors per year. The directors have a master plan designed to increase attendance in 20 years to 250,000.

“It’s been an interesting experience,” O’Connor said. “We’ve had visitors from every state but South Dakota. Trip Advisor designated us as the No. 1 botanical garden destination three years in a row. That is truly impressive feat for being open for a short time.”

The Le Club Calumet will honor O’Connor during a ceremony on Saturday, May 9 in Augusta. The event begins with a dinner at 6 p.m. and award ceremony at 7 p.m.