Dick Barringer was my mentor in graduate school. He got me an internship at the Maine State Planning Office that led to a job that led to a career. He believed in me. I know that because he told me, all the time, every time he saw me. He introduced me to others as a rising star. He did that with all his students. Because Dick taught me, I do that with kids in the neighborhood.
Dick was the Founding Director of the Muskie School for Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. He’s the one who secured permission from Ed Muskie’s family to use the name. Upon his retirement we gave Dick a pair of hiking boots.
Dick served as the first Director of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and played a key role in securing land from paper companies for public use over many years. He served as Commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation and later as Director of the Maine State Planning Office. He used to say that public service – working for the government – is a noble calling.
When Dick arrived from Boston in the early 70’s, the Maine economy was based on natural resource extraction and pollution. Paper companies dominated the Maine economy and there was a sense that we EITHER grow the economy and trash the environment OR save the environment but trash our economy. Dick came along with a PhD from M.I.T. and a love for Maine and said that we could have both: a strong economy AND a healthy environment. He wrote up his ideas in something called A Maine Manifest, 1972. It was a new way of thinking.
He died about a month ago. You can read his obituary here.
I was able to go to the Memorial Service and it was quite something. One of his sons played a Bob Dylan song and another son recounted that in his last days, Dick told him “In the end, only love and kindness matter.”
So much gratitude for Dick Barringer and other Maine leaders who have shown us the way. Peace to Martha and the family.
Dick was not an easy person to work with–at least for me—because he had such strong ideas and often seemed uninterested in hearing other points of view–especially from state staff people which I was at the time. But last summer I read Tom Urquehart’s book on the acquisition of two million acres of public lots and found out that Dick, as Director of Parks and Lands and later Commissioner was the leading person behind this incredible achievement! He was totally dedicated to public service and did so much for Maine. I hope his memory will remain alive and am glad so many were able to attend his memorial. (I was away at the time.) I also wish Martha the best–I know she will miss him greatly.
On Nov 18, 2025, I too joined hundreds of friends gathered in Portland to honor the memory of Dick Barringer. I worked with him for years in the 1970-80s at the Maine State Planning Office and Dept of Conservation. In recent times, we overlapped a bit on projects to improve protection and interpretation of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
A couple years ago, he emailed to say he wanted to buy one of my photos of Katahdin. He and Martha came to our house, we reminisced, I handed him the photo. He wanted to pay me, but I said knowing it would hang in his house was more than enough payment.
Dick was a tough kid from Boston who grew up to be one of the most inspiring and visionary people I have known. He was deeply interested in promoting the public interest. Maine is a much better place for Dick’s ideas and persistence. He also had an infectious laugh and a contagious love of life. Plus he had legible handwriting, a nearly lost art I particularly admire.
Thanks so much for your comment Jym. I saw you at the Memorial Service but we didn’t get a chance to say hi. Really appreciate your additional thoughts about Dick.