If you check the dictionary, there should be a picture of Harold Alfond next to the word “philanthropist.” But his picture could also be displayed next to the words “loyal” or “loyalty.” Or “humanitarian.”

He was one of a kind.

There is nobody who has done more for the state of Maine than Harold Alfond.

His name is everywhere, including two collegiate Alfond Arenas – one at Colby College in his native Waterville and the other at the University of Maine in Orono.

But Harold could have cared less if his name was on anything.

He simply gave to improve the quality of life for those who benefited from his donations.

He befriended John Winkin when Winkin was the baseball coach and athletic director at Colby and always backed his friend financially and spiritually.

Alfond was an important ally to Winkin and played a vital role in the Black Bears’ ascension to national prominence.

The six trips to the College World Series were sources of tremendous pride for Alfond.

He was fiercely loyal to his friends.

When Winkin left the university for Husson College in Bangor, Alfond made sure Winkin had what he needed to build a first-rate facility.

When Alfond made the donation necessary to build Alfond Arena and start the hockey program at Maine, he hoped the area would embrace hockey.

Being a progressive giant in the business world and enjoying the entrepreneurial success he had as the founder and owner of Dexter Shoe Co., Alfond probably knew hockey would be a success.

But it has become much more than that, and when the need arose for more seating to appease the public’s demand, he came through yet again.

He befriended the late Shawn Walsh and took great joy in Walsh’s success, which included NCAA championships in 1993 and 1999.

However, Harold was always content to stand back in the shadows with that soft, sincere grin.

He was a tremendously devoted family man, and they enjoyed his involvement in the sports world.

He was part owner of the Boston Red Sox and it was only fitting and just that the Red Sox won two World Series before he passed away.

He deserved the kind of joy he supplied to millions.

Harold Alfond recognized that sports are a microcosm of life.

The tools that made him hugely successful businessmen are the same tools that win championships: hard work, loyalty, determination, teamwork and a constant quest for improvement.

He knew you had to handle the valleys in life while keeping the proper perspective during the peaks.

I didn’t know Harold Alfond well. My conversations with him usually consisted of interviews.

I wish I had gotten to know him better.

But I did know he was kind and considerate and was sincere when he would ask you about your life and your family.

He was the consummate role model.

Alfond and the late Larry Mahaney and Bill Palmer, who were also philanthropists and big-time University of Maine backers, put a university in a remote locale on the national map.

Harold Alfond will be missed, but his legacy will live on.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by e-mail at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net