Kevin Woodbury Morton

Kevin Woodbury Morton, a loving and beloved son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, mentor and devoted public service professional, sadly passed away on March 7, 2022 in Old Orchard Beach, Maine at the age of 65. His passing was completely unexpected and family members and loved ones are shocked and heartbroken.

Kevin was born in Portland, Maine on December 20, 1956. He was passionate about a career in public safety from a very early age. He joined the Falmouth Fire Department as a volunteer Firefighter and member of the EMS Staff in 1973 and became an active member of Central Station in 1975 following his graduation from Falmouth High School. He completed the Fire Science Program at Southern Maine Community College in 2009 and moved through the ranks at Central Station becoming Senior Captain, District Chief, and ultimately serving as Deputy Fire Chief for the Falmouth Fire Department. He was EMD Certified and served as an EMD Instructor for Portland Regional Communications. Beyond his Firefighter/EMS certifications, he was also certified in Hazardous Material Awareness, multiple Incident Command System levels, and as a Maine State Police Metro Operator.

He was a member of the Maine State Federation of Firefighters; Cumberland County Fire Chiefs; Metro Fire Chiefs; Maine State Fire Chiefs; New England Fire Chiefs; and International Association of Fire Chiefs. He worked closely with the Metro Fire Chief’s organization when it was first formed related to the dispatching of Fire/EMS units for Metro Fire Chief’s communities.

He also assisted in forming the Cumberland County Emergency Response plans for Task Force and Strike Team Groups. He was an instructor in training the area Communications Centers on this plan. He was also an original member and instructor of the Cumberland County Fire Attack School Staff.

In addition to over 43 years of combined volunteer and paid roles in the combined firefighting/EMS arena, he held various positions as a Communications Officer responsible for dispatching Police/Fire/EMS in various southern Maine towns and was the Communications Supervisor for the Portland Maine Police Department. This included working closely with Portland and South Portland to monitor daily activity and safety surrounding commercial and cruise ships coming into the harbor, as well as daily interactions with the Portland International Jetport in support of FAA safety protocols. He was also the Director of Police-Fire-EMS Communications for the Yarmouth Police Department, which included the supervision and training of employees in the Communications Dispatch Division.

He received many awards and commendations over the years, including the Bravery Award, Unit Citation, and Officer of the Year from the Falmouth Fire Department; Unit Citation and Employee of the Month Award from the Portland Police Department; and the Sprit de’ Corps Citation from the Portland Fire Department.

As Kevin transitioned into his retirement years, he continued as a contractor, valued advisor and mentor in the public safety realm, including recent roles with both General Dynamics and the University of New England.

Anyone who really knew Kevin understood him to be a kind, loving, caring man who had strong opinions, yet could still make you laugh at the most perfect moments! He was someone who was always willing to lend support to anyone in need, sometimes at great personal cost to his own well-being. He loved rock music, and spending time with close family and loved ones. His favorite dog was a German Shepherd named Branch, and two cats named Riley and Wayne. They all gave him much comfort and joy during particularly stressful times.

Jake Myrick, a Veteran and colleague who recently worked closely with Kevin at General Dynamics, describes Kevin as “a straight-forward, ‘tell-you-how-it-is’, thickened, opinionated man with a giant caring heart. His willingness to put the needs of others before himself is a testament to his character. His work in public safety, his lifelong commitment to his community, fellow firefighters, and various fire [and police] departments is honorable. Kevin was much more than a co-worker; he was a true friend, and my life and the life of my oldest son, who also worked with Kevin, will be forever and always better because Kevin was a part of it.”

Kevin is survived by his sister, Karen Morton-Clark; his niece, Krystie Clark, and her two children, Bryan and Brea; his long-time dear friend, Joanne Flaherty; and many other dear family members, loved ones, and colleagues. Kevin is predeceased by his father, Woodbury Morton; his mother, Phyllis Morton; his stepmother, Marjorie Morton; and his companion, Judy Tarling.

Kevin was a true hero, particularly in the eyes of his close family, in endearing ways they will never forget. They will always cherish his memory in their hearts and will never forget his true essence.

Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2022, from 10 – 11:30 am, followed by a Celebration of Life and Lunch Reception to honor Kevin, all at Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford Street, Portland, Maine. Kevin's family respectfully requests that guests refrain from using colognes, perfumes, and scented lotions prior to entering the funeral home in consideration of sensitivities of family members to these items. The service will be livestreamed on the funeral home's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jonesrichbarnes

In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Kevin’s name to Firefighters Behavioral Health Alliance at www.ffbha.org or NAMI – Maine at www.namimaine.org