Three local men who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to helping youth both academically and athletically will be honored in June, 2017.
Howard Lello, Philip Faulkner and Keith Hayward are all being inducted into the Maine Sports Legends Hall of Honors. Lello is being inducted posthumously. The banquet will be held at the Alfond Girls and Boys Club in Waterville on Sunday, June 25.
Howard Lello
Lello was a 1936 graduate of Aroostook Central Institute in Mars Hill who went on to attend Bridgton Academy and the Aroostook School of Commerce. He served in the U.S. Navy during both World War II and the Korean War.
He was an athlete, coach, philanthropist, community leader and volunteer and an avid supporter of the youth of Limestone, where he settled in 1948.
He organized and coached Little League teams in Limestone and Caswell for 21 years and was a longtime volunteer track official at Aroostook County meets.
Lello has two local awards named in his honor. The Howard Lello Award goes to the top scoring female at the Aroostook League track and field championships and the Pet Thornton-Howard Lello Award goes to the outstanding athlete at Limestone High School.
“Howard always attended Limestone sporting events and made it a point to congratulate and encourage the young athletes on their participation in recreation or school sports, win or lose,” said Bob White, a former Limestone High School educator.
Lello was a fixture at the Bangor Auditorium during the high school basketball tournaments and a chair was always referred to him underneath the basket.
The estate of Howard and Zeta Lello left an endowment to the Limestone Community School athletic programs. From this fund, a new scoreboard and shed will be added to the baseball complex. Last month, the RSU 39 school board authorized the renaming of the school’s baseball field to the “Howard and Zeta Lello Memorial Field.”
“The Lellos supported the community for years and years,” said Pierre Huntress, the Eagles’ varsity baseball coach and a Limestone High School alumni, in an article the appeared in March in the Aroostook Republican & News. “If a kid didn’t have money for socks, a hat or cleats, they would step in and a new Nike box would appear, or a new hat.”
Howard Lello served on several committees and was a member of numerous clubs in the community. He was named Citizen of the Year in 1965 and was the recipient of a Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club.
“His legacy was in the true spirit of giving and supporting youth in the community of Limestone and Aroostook County,” said Bill Casavant, who coached and taught in Limestone.
Lello passed away on April 2, 2012 at the age of 93. His wife, Zeta, died two years later at the age of 94.
Philip Faulkner
Faulkner played several sports during his high school career and he went on to become an educator, coach and athletic director, beginning at Island Falls High School.
He spent many years at Katahdin High School and still serves as a volunteer assistant boys’ basketball coach under Bill McAvoy at Southern Aroostook Community School.
Faulkner amassed 300 varsity wins in basketball during his career and also coached soccer, volleyball, golf and baseball.
In an article the appeared in the Bangor Daily News in the 1980s, then-sports reporter Mike Dowd wrote “the fact of the matter is that Faulkner has led his teams into the Eastern Maine Class C Tournament every year he has blown a whistle in the high school gym in Sherman Station. He has taken seven of those teams on to the Eastern Maine finals and won four of them. He has led the Cougars to a state title.
“The tradition of winning basketball at Katahdin High School has continued to endure with a succession of teams that have been overachievers under the tutelage of Faulkner,” Dowd added.
Faulkner was known as a stickler for academics, according to Rae Bates, the curriculum coordinator for RSU 29 in Houlton who knew Faulkner when she was the principal at Katahdin High School.
“Phil continually checked on the academic work of his basketball players as he strongly believed academic success was a priority and not solely based on their success on the basketball court,” Bates said.
Faulkner has been named MABC Coach of the Year, has coached in McDonald’s Senior All-Star games and in 2011 was the recipient of the William Boucher Award for his outstanding service in athletics as presented by the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.
He and his wife reside in Island Falls and they have a son and a daughter who live in the area. Faulkner has served on numerous state and local boards and remains active today on several committees and also still coaches and is a substitute teacher.
Keith Hayward
Hayward served the community of Presque Isle for many years after graduating from Princeton High School and Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute.
He was the first Northern District Amateur Softball Association commissioner and served as an umpire in both basketball and softball.
After being employed by IBM for five years, Hayward became the program director for the Presque Isle Recreation and Parks Department in 1968. Upon the retirement of William Haskell, Hayward became the department’s director in 1981.
Hayward enjoyed the “hands-on” type of work that was included in the planning and development of city projects. He was heavily involved with fundraising for the Mantle Lake playground, the development of the Bishops Island ball field, Riverside Park, the city’s bike/walking path and Arnold Brook Lake park. He groomed and perfected Peace Park and Veterans Park.
“Under his leadership, the recreation program and city’s parks were viewed by young and old as a precious gift to the community,” said Frank Keenan, who served as principal and athletic director at Presque Isle High School during Hayward’s tenure. “Keith took great pains to fill his staff with people who were driven to deliver the best possible experience to each and every child and adult who participated in or utilized any of the programs or facilities offered.”
After 34 years with the recreation department, Hayward retired in 2003.
“He had a lifelong commitment to the needs of the whole community, and the community has been the beneficiary,” said former city manager Tom Stevens.
Hayward remains a fan of Presque Isle athletics and attends contests whenever he can. He also enjoys hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. He was a member of local organizations such as the Presque Isle Jaycees and the Presque Isle Kiwanis Club.
He and his wife, Camilla, reside in Presque Isle and also spend some winter months in Florida. They have a combined family of six grown children, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
