Steeple Fundraising Committee Chairman Walter Hilton stands next to a model of the Damariscotta Baptist Church steeple in downtown Damariscotta in July 2010. (LCN file photo)
Walter Hilton, the unofficial mayor of Damariscotta, a former longtime selectman, and a die-hard Lincoln Academy supporter, passed away unexpectedly June 20 at the age of 67.
Hilton “was a familiar face around Damariscotta with a wealth of knowledge about the history of the town,” Town Manager Matt Lutkus said. “He is certainly one of the leaders who brought us to where we are today.”
From 1995-2007, Hilton served on the Damariscotta Board of Selectman, making him one of the longest-serving selectmen in the town’s history, according to former Selectman Richard “Dick” McLean.
McLean served alongside Hilton for almost 10 years and remembered his former colleague as someone who cared deeply for all residents of Damariscotta.
“He was largely invested in the welfare of the town, and it showed in his decisions,” McLean said.
“He was all heart, and would turn himself inside out for you.”
Even though the members of the board didn’t always agree, McLean said Hilton was willing to discuss any concerns the people of the town expressed to him.
“He could be stubborn, but he would always give each of us the opportunity to speak our own point of view, and he would never go as far as to cut someone off or interrupt,” McLean said. “If someone brought a concern to him, he would bring it to the board so we could all discuss it, even if he disagreed with it.”
Lincoln Academy Athletic Director K.J. Anastasio presents a $185 check to Walter Hilton for winning the Cheney Insurance Shootout in January 2012. Hilton graduated from Lincoln Academy in 1966 and was a lifelong supporter of the academy.
Hilton also served the town as a member of the Damariscotta Board of Appeals and an alternate on the budget committee. He also chaired the fundraising committee for the restoration of the Damariscotta Baptist Church steeple.
Hilton was known as a family man. On March 23, 1968, he married Vivianne “Vikki” Ardelle Paiement. The Hiltons’ daughters, Heidi Clark and Heather Hartford, said their parents were each other’s soul mates.
“They did absolutely everything together,” Clark said. “They DJ’d together for barbecues and weddings. Mom was the social talker, and Dad played the music.”
“I think they did more events for free” than for pay, Hartford said.
Vikki Hilton passed away in August 2015.
“After Mom died, it was like Dad wasn’t whole anymore,” Clark said. “They had a kind of love you don’t see too often.”
In addition to Hartford, Clark, and the Hiltons’ son, Scott Hilton, Walter Hilton also had countless “adopted” children and grandchildren. When they lived on Water Street in Damariscotta, their home was known as the Hilton Hotel, Clark said.
“The door was always unlocked, so that if anyone needed a place to crash for the night, they had a safe place,” Clark said.
Hartford and Clark also said their father was known for his sense of humor.
Joe Jacobs, of Nobleboro, said it was Hilton’s sense of humor that first drew them together almost 17 years ago.
“I like my friends to have a sense of humor, and he had a great one,” Jacobs said.
According to Jacobs, Hilton always introduced Jacobs as his best friend “with a boat.” One day, Jacobs was driving by the marina when he saw Hilton reading the newspaper on Jacobs’ boat. Jacobs called and asked what he was up to, and Hilton said he was “just reading the paper.”
“‘On the boat?’ I asked, and he started looking around,” Jacobs said. “He said, ‘I guess you found me!’”
Jacobs and Hilton spent a lot of time together at the Damariscotta McDonald’s, which Hilton, as “mayor,” called his office.
“We started coming to McDonald’s a long time ago; I don’t even remember how long ago that was,” Jacobs said. “But we were there almost every day.”
During one of their daily conversations, it was decided that Hilton was the chairman of the board at McDonald’s and Jacobs would become the vice chairman. All other friends and guests were considered associates of the board.
“There have been times he’s called and said, ‘you missed a board meeting,’ or ‘I’m at the office, where are you?’” Hartford said. “We always knew where we could find him.”
A lifelong supporter and 1966 graduate of Lincoln Academy, Hilton prided himself on being one of L.A.’s biggest fans, and was known to be quite vocal during sporting events.
“He’s been to every game, especially basketball,” Clark said. “He had a big mouth in the bleachers, and has been kicked out of games and sent to the principal’s office, but he’s supported the sports even since before we were in high school.”
At Hilton’s request, the family intends to set up a scholarship in Walter and Vikki Hilton’s names for a graduating Lincoln Academy student pursuing a career in the medical field, with a preference given to athletes.
Clark and Hartford said they will miss their father and the presence he had in Damariscotta, but they know he is at peace and with their mother now.
“We were a dysfunctional family, but we were dysfunctional together,” Hartford said. “And we’ll really miss that.”
