John Cashwell III, a former Bangor City Council chair, died Sunday night in his home, according to his family.
Cashwell was 78. He served on the Bangor City Council from 2003 until 2006, becoming chair in the last year of his term. He also served as a city councilor and mayor in Calais in the 1980s.
Family and fellow councilors remembered Cashwell’s strong opinions, his willingness to find common ground across disagreements and his love for the city.
“He’s a problem solver, a resource guy, the most intelligent guy I’ve ever known,” said his wife, Julie Cashwell.
The former councilor was born in Roseboro, North Carolina, and served 20 years in the military, including two tours in Vietnam, she said. He flew helicopters for the military and commercially and earned a forestry degree in Montana before moving to Maine in the 1980s.
When he and Julie moved to Bangor from Calais, “he wanted to very much be involved in city matters, as per his style,” she said, describing him as “a mover and a shaker.”
On Bangor’s City Council, Cashwell “had strong beliefs, but he respected everybody’s opinion and he really wanted to move things forward,” former councilor Dan Tremble said. “He always looked for compromise and common ground with people.”
Cashwell was closely involved in negotiating the agreement to establish what is now the Hollywood Casino in Bangor, Tremble added.
He also stayed involved even after his term on the council ended, serving on committees during the planning of the Cross Insurance Center, according to current City Council chair Susan Hawes. Cashwell was the chair when Hawes first joined the council, she said.
And while he played a key role in big projects like the casino, Cashwell was incredibly detail-oriented, according to City Councilor Joe Leonard.
“He really had an eye for every single item, every single discussion that was being had, and nothing ever passed him over when it came to city business,” he said.
Multiple friends and family members emphasized Cashwell’s focus on problem-solving and drive to get things done.
“His third grade teacher wrote on his report card that ‘John is one of the most resourceful students I have,’” Julie Cashwell remembered.
Although Cashwell served on the council long before Leonard was elected in 2022, the pair became friends at the Leonard family restaurant, Evenrood’s, of which Cashwell was a big supporter. Leonard described Cashwell as a mentor who had a significant influence on him, despite their political disagreements.
“Even if you had a fundamental disagreement with him and maybe you wanted to go about it a different way, he and I were able to see what the underlying systemic problems were in any given issue,” Leonard said.
He added that Cashwell’s military experience informed his work as a leader in the city.
“He very much understands that decisions that you make can sometimes literally mean life or death,” Leonard said. “And that was a philosophy that he also brought to the city level as well. There are decisions that you make as an elected official that people’s lives are on the line for.”
Cashwell was also “a huge pillar of Bangor’s community” beyond politics, Leonard said, recalling a year when he personally donated money to fund the downtown beach ball drop on New Year’s Eve.
Hawes said she expects many in the community will remember Cashwell for his smile and fun-loving nature. “He had a toothy smile, and he’d just light up the room,” she said.
She also remembered seeing Cashwell around town frequently with his dog, Wilson.
“He took that dog everywhere with him. If he went to get a cup of coffee, the dog was in the vehicle,” she said. “That was definitely his sidekick.”
He loved everything about the city, Julie Cashwell said, especially the people, and was a regular of Bangor’s restaurant and bar scene.
Cashwell was “very community minded, country minded, and also family minded,” she said.
Cashwell leaves behind two daughters, Morgan and Mollie, and four grandchildren.