Richard Bruce Dalbeck, 82, longtime resident of Cape Elizabeth, a retired insurance executive, who had recently moved into an assisted living facility in Falmouth, died on Dec. 20.
He was born on May 17, 1929 in Cambridge, Mass. to Elizabeth Kessell Wharton Dalbeck and Harold Lewis Dalbeck.
Dick grew up in Belmont, Mass. and graduated from the Belmont Hill School. When WWII broke out, his mother decided he should stop attending summer camp on Cape Cod and instead shipped him inland to Camp O-At-Ka on Sebago Lake. It was during these summers that Dick’s love of boating and Maine deepened into a real passion.
After graduating as a Phi Beta Kappa undergrad from Dartmouth College in 1952, he received an MBA with Distinction from its Amos Tuck School of Business Administration in 1953. Following college, he attended Navy Supply Officer training and rose to Lieutenant Supply Corps Officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. His time in the Navy included trips to the Arctic and the Antarctic onboard the icebreaker U.S.S. Atka stationed out of Boston. While in the Navy, he met and married Shirley Wells, a nurse at Mass General Hospital in Boston.
His career spanned the Navy Supply Corps, General Electric, A.T. Kearney Management Consulting, and what is now UNUM. He felt fortunate that it also gave him the opportunity to work for a time in very different locales, including: Brunswick, Lynn, Mass., Lynchburg, Va., Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y. and finally to Portland where he and his wife, Shirley, decided to put down roots and raise their three children in “a better rounded life without the big city headaches.”
In 1969, Maine called Dick “home.” After searching for the right company fit, Dick joined Unionmutual Insurance as Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Planning. Hired for his strategic marketing and planning skills, Dick immersed himself in the business of insurance, earned his CLU degree, ushered in new concepts and systems to the company, and successively progressed through the ranks. He retired from UNUM in 1991 as an Executive Vice President and a Director.
A key life goal was making a difference in his community and in the lives of those around him. During his career, Dick also held leadership positions in several civic organizations. He was Chairman of the Portland Chamber of Commerce, on the board of the United Way and chair of its 1985 advanced gifts campaign; and President of the Board of Park Danforth; and he helped start Nasson College (now a part of UNE). He was also a trustee of Masterton Foundation of Technical Education and was very active in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine and in his local parish, St. Albans Church, where he served for many years on its Vestry, for a time as its Warden, and as a member of its finance committee.
In retirement, Dick remained very active in the community. On the public side, Dick was appointed Commissioner of the Maine Health Care Finance Commission (1991 – 1996), and Co-chair of the Maine Blue Ribbon Commission on Workmen’s Compensation (1992). In 1992, he also ran for and won a seat on Cape Elizabeth’s town council. He served as a trustee of the Maine Municipal Association Property & Casualty Pool Program, Maine Aspirations Foundation, and Maine Maritime Museum. He led the board of Camp Bishopswood, a camp his children attended, and was on the board of Camp O-At-Ka. He was also a member of the planning committee of AIDS Lodging House and director of Greater Portland Landmarks and remained involved with Sweetser until his death.
In Maine, Dick found the right balance of work, community and family activities. In summer, you’d find him boating and swimming at his cottage in Round Pond. In winter, he used to enjoy skiing. In his later years, while he continued to love Maine, he traveled a bit to escape a chunk of Maine’s winter, enjoying a month, or so, of rest and relaxation in the Florida Keys.
Dick is survived by his wife Shirley Wells Dalbeck of Cape Elizabeth; children, Barbara Dalbeck Piccirillo and husband Peter Piccirillo of Yarmouth, Betsey Dalbeck of Brookline, Mass., and Bruce Dalbeck and wife Dr. Chris Bennett of Portland; grandchildren, Andrew Piccirillo, Alicia Piccirillo, and Benjamin Bromberg; sister, Elizabeth Dalbeck Huson of Damariscotta, and her children, Bob Huson, Rick Huson and Beth Finegan, and their spouses and children.
Memorial service with a reception following 11 a.m., Wed., Dec. 28 at St. Alban’s Church, 885 Shore Rd., Cape Elizabeth, http://www.stalbansmaine.org. Interment will be held privately at a later date at Riverside Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Richard’s name, to Sweetser or to a charity of your own choice.
Hobbs Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements and can be reached at 207-799-4472 or online at http://www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.
