PORTLAND – President, University of Maine at Augusta, Nationally Recognized Higher Education Leader, George P. Connick, 88, died April 15, 2024, at Maine Medical Center after a lengthy illness.

He was born in Santa Rosa, Calif. Nov. 1, 1935, the son of Percy G. and Elsie M. (French) Connick. He attended Fremont Elementary, Santa Rosa Junior High and graduated from Santa Rosa High School in 1953. He graduated from Stanford University in 1957 with a B.A. in history and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army Infantry. Following six months active duty at Fort Benning (Georgia) and Fort Ord (California), he was assigned to the Army Reserve where he served until discharged honorably in 1965 with the rank of captain. He earned his M.A. in history in 1960 from San Jose State University and his Ph.D. in history in 1969 from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

He married Joan Elizabeth Oates, his high school sweetheart, on Aug. 11, 1957 in Santa Rosa, Calif. They were married 67 years at the time of his death.

Dr. Connick began his teaching career at San Jose State University (California) in 1961 and went on to teach at the University of Colorado at Denver (1963-65), and Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, Calif. (1965-66).

In 1966, he moved with his family to Portland to take a position as Assistant Professor of History at the University of Maine, Portland Campus. He was promoted to Associate Professor of History with tenure in 1970. Following the decision of the legislature to merge the University of Maine, Portland Campus, with Gorham State Teachers College in 1970, Dr. Connick was appointed Director of Academic Planning to guide the planning for the merger. He spent 19 years at the University of Southern Maine and served in a number of administrative positions, including Director of Associate Degree Studies and Co-Director of York County Community College Services, Director of the Division of Basic Studies, Off-Campus Program Delivery and Instructional Television and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

As a result of his extensive work on issues related to expanding higher education access for Maine citizens, in 1985, Dr. Connick was appointed President of the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA), the University System’s statewide community college. During his nine years as president, he is best remembered for founding the Education Network of Maine (1988), which extended university educational opportunities through interactive television to Maine adults in every part of the state. As an educator, he was proudest of his efforts to provide educational access to thousands of Maine citizens.

He resigned as President of UMA in 1994 and at the same meeting of the University Trustees was appointed President of the Education Network of Maine. In 1997, he took early retirement from the University of Maine System and devoted himself to his publishing company, Distance Education Publications, and educational consulting across the U.S. and Canada on issues related to technology and distance learning.

In 1999, Dr. Connick was asked to take the Executive Director position of the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), the organization that accredits the 52 funeral programs in the United States. In 2005, he resigned from ABFSE and became a consultant to American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service (AAMI) in New York City and assisted them in developing the largest online funeral service program in the U.S. In 2008, he was appointed AAMI’s Executive Vice President and in 2019, following the retirement of the president of the school, he was named Interim President. He held that position until his retirement in 2021.

During his long career, Dr. Connick gave freely of his time for both professional and community projects. Nationally, he was recognized as a visionary and pioneer in the field of expanding educational access, especially using new technologies. He was in great demand as a consultant (having worked in over 25 states, Canada and Ireland) and as a speaker (giving over 300 conference presentations) during his career. He published numerous articles and in 1998 his book titled “The Distance Learner’s Guide” was published. He was highly respected as a firm but fair evaluator of other colleges and was asked to chair more than 60 accreditation teams during his career.

He volunteered his time for a number of projects: He served as President of the New England Junior and Community College Council; he was a Cubmaster; he was President of the Maine Association of Parents of Hearing Impaired Children; a member of the Board of Directors of Kennebec Health Systems in Augusta; Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yankee Healthcare, Augusta; Member of the Maine Human Resource Development Council; Member of the Board of Freeport Historical Society; Member of the Board of the Maine School of Science and Math; a member and Vice Chair of the Winslow Park Commission, Freeport; and President of his condominium association, among some of his activities.

He received numerous awards and honors during his career. In 1992, he was recognized for the “Most Outstanding Achievement by an Individual in Distance Education in the U.S” and also the “Distinguished Services Award in the Field of Higher Education” at the annual FAME (Finance Authority of Maine) Awards Dinner. Following his retirement from the University System in 1997, he was awarded President Emeritus status by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of New Hampshire System. In 1999, the United States Distance Learning Association selected him for its most prestigious award as the second inductee into the Distance Learning Hall of Fame.

Joan and George loved to travel. During their 67-year marriage, they travelled to England, Ireland, Greece, Canada and all 50 states. They often traveled with their many friends on day trips around Maine and New England, to Boston, Mass. or New York City, N.Y. to see a play or on a cross-country trip to visit historic sites or family and other friends. In 1994, they both had sabbaticals and they spent three months driving 12,000 miles, from coast to coast (with side trips on a cruise to Alaska and a flight to Hawaii) and visited more than 50 innovative schools and colleges.

They especially loved the National Parks and they had a goal of visiting all 60. They actually visited 47. His life-long companion and best friend, Joan, loved the grandeur and beauty of the coasts, the mountains, the deserts, the villages and the great cities and it greatly inspired her teaching and painting.

George cherished and loved his large family most of all. He attended most of the sporting events and other activities of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren religiously. Always offering inspiration and support, nurturing a family full of love and support for one another. He loved family events and organized many well-attended reunions. George had a vast network of friends and colleagues and was widely known by innumerable people in southern Maine for his sincerity, generosity and congeniality.

Surviving are his wife Joan (Oates) Connick of Freeport; a daughter, Kimberley Arrowsmith and husband Rob of Kingston, Mass., and sons George J. Connick and wife Karen of Westbrook, Jeffrey S. Connick and wife Sarah of Denver, Colo., and Jonathan A. Connick of Freeport; 13 grandchildren, Joel Connick, Jason Connick, Alex Connick, Josiah Baker-Connick, Harry Baker-Connick, Max Connick, Jonathan Connick Jr, Sam Connick, Robert Arrowsmith Jr., Kaylie Arrowsmith, Gavin Arrowsmith, Abby Smith, and Emily Smith; and five great-grandsons, Jax Connick, Leo Connick, Wes Connick, Milo Connick and Eli Connick.

The entire Connick family wants to sincerely thank the nurses and doctors who cared for our father in the Oncology Unit at the Maine Medical Center. You are special people. We would also thank George’s PCP Dr. Stephen Dobieski of Intermed who treated George over the past years.

A Service of Remembrance and gathering of family and friends commemorating George’s life will be held at a future date at Winslow Park in South Freeport.

Please visit http://www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to sign George’s online guest book.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to

Winslow Memorial Park,

Town of Freeport

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