To say they left their mark on the sports scene in the state of Maine would be an understatement.
The state lost a host of influential sports legends during 2025 including, in alphabetical order, Mary Cady, Bob Haskell, Stu Haskell, Steve Pound, Joel Sankey, Paul Soucy and John Wolfgram.
They were overachievers who helped shape so many lives and left their footprints on the sports world in the Pine Tree State.
Mary Cady, track race director and official
You would be hard-pressed to find somebody who did more for track athletes in the state than Mary Cady.
For over 30 years, Cady was one of the state’s premier meet directors and track officials. She was also known nationwide as a USA Track and Field master official who officiated national and college meets across the nation.
Cady died on Jan. 15.
“She was the most organized and thorough person I’ve ever met. She got things done to the 11th degree,” said Orono High School athletic director Mike Archer. “She was so adamant about making sure the kids had a great experience.
“I don’t know anyone who cared as much or had as big a heart as she did,” Archer said.
Bob Haskell, sports editor and reporter
Bob Haskell spent 23 years on the sports desk at the Bangor Daily News and 37 years in the Maine Army National Guard.
He was a tireless worker who was passionate about his sports beats. He was thorough and fair. If a story was controversial, he gave both sides of it.
He left no stone unturned in pursuit of a story and was a stickler for accuracy.
Nobody did more when it came to the coverage of auto racing in the state than he did.
Bob Haskell died on Dec. 12.
Stu Haskell, sportswriter and athletic director
Stu Haskell had an impressive career with a lengthy resume that began as a sportswriter at the Bangor Daily News and the Belfast Republican Journal before he launched a 30-plus year career at the University of Maine.
He began as a sports information director at UMaine before being elevated to business manager, assistant athletic director and athletic director, a post he held from 1982 to 87.
He later earned the rare distinction of being a commissioner of two different conferences: the North Atlantic Conference which eventually became America East and Hockey East.
The well-liked and highly-respected 1956 University of Maine graduate displayed his deep affection for the school and its sports tradition by devoting countless hours to publish The Maine Book in 2007, a publication that chronicled 16,000 teams, names and facts in UMaine sports from 1881-2007.
Virtually every athlete who ever played for a UMaine varsity or jayvee team is listed in The Maine Book.
Stu Haskell cared about people and had a nice way of dealing with them in his various endeavors. He died on March 11.
Steve Pound, basketball player, coach and educator
Steve Pound had a multi-Hall of Fame career as a basketball player and coach.
The Millinocket native was a prolific scorer who averaged over 40 points per game at Stearns High School before the advent of the 3-point shot. He went on to become the all-time leading scorer at Acadia University in Nova Scotia.
He led Stearns to a Class LL state championship in 1968 and Acadia to a Canadian national championship three years later.
Pound died on May 2 just two days before his 75th birthday.
His brother, Kim Pound, said he was a team-first kind of player off and on the court,
“Not only was a great basketball player, but he cared about people,” Kim Pound said. “He mentored people. If they needed help, he would reach out and help them.”
Steve Pound was considered a “true giant of the game in Maine” by Todd Hanson, the executive director of the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame, of which Pound was in the inaugural class in 2014.
Pound was also a member of the Hall’s executive board for several years and Hanson said Pound was one of “three or four people I consider on the Mount Rushmore of the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame in terms of getting it started and being in it as well.”
Joel Sankey, football coach and teacher
Joel Sankey was one of the state’s best football coaches, guiding the Bucksport High School Golden Bucks to five state championship game appearances and a state Class C title in 2004.
He also coached sports at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine and Bangor High School.
But Sankey, who died in May, was much more than just a top-notch coach, according to former player David Gross, who was the first year head coach at Old Town High School this past fall.
“It was always about growth and taking steps forward, whether that be on the field, in the classroom or in the community,” Gross said. “And he made everything such a family atmosphere. When you talk about Joel Sankey, you’re talking about a guy who’s invested interest into generations of people.”
John Bapst of Bangor athletic director and football coach Dan O’Connell said Sankey was “a pillar in the football community” in the area in a number of different ways spanning across several decades.
“He was a tremendous Xs and Os coach, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what he meant to so many,” O’Connell said about Sankey.
Paul Soucy, multi-sport athlete, coach, administrator and official
Soucy had a lengthy and exceptional resume that was wide-ranging and exemplified his versatility.
After an outstanding multi-sports career at South Portland High School, he played football at the University of Maine and went on to coach several sports including football, softball and basketball. He also served as an athletic administrator, a football referee and a softball umpire.
The personable Soucy was a high school coach of the year in softball and girls basketball at Brewer High and holds the record for most career wins for the Brewer girls basketball team.
He was a longtime athletic director at Hermon High and also served in a number of roles at the high school basketball tournaments including announcer, scorekeeper, athletic trainer and floor manager.
Soucy died on April 26.
Bangor High School athletic director Steve Vanidestine called Soucy “one of a kind” in an interview with the Bangor Daily News.
“He was one of the nicest people I ever met,” said Vanidestine, who worked with Soucy when Soucy was the assistant principal at Bangor High. “I thought very, very highly of him. Everything that is good about athletics and education represented Paul Soucy. He had outstanding character, he was kind and had a great wit.”
Soucy was a special person who meant a lot to players and many other people, Vanidestine said.
“He was always willing to volunteer his time,” Vanidestine added about Soucy. “He gave a lot more than he received.”
John Wolfgram, football coach and teacher
Wolfgram, who died in August, is Maine’s all-time winningest high school football coach.
He captured 10 state championships with four schools: South Portland (4), Gardiner (3), Cheverus of Portland (2) and Madison (1).
His overall record as a head coach was 309-92-1.
His Cheverus teams strung together a 34-game winning streak, which was a state record.
Cheverus President Father Robert J. Pecoraro called Wolfgram’s impact on Maine football “tremendous” in a statement released by the school.
“He taught his players and students the importance of excellence and integrity and he embodied those two qualities in all he did,” Pecoraro said.
Wolfgram also taught English at Cheverus when he coached at the school.
Cheverus director of athletics and activities Amy Ashley said that Wolfgram’s preparation and attention to detail were unmatched.
“It’s no surprise his teams found success,” Ashley said. “But what truly made him legendary wasn’t just the wins, it was the lasting impact he had on the lives of his athletes.”