Harold Alfond, the businessman and philanthropist who donated more than $2.5 million to St. Joseph’s College in Standish for campus improvements, died on Friday at his home in Belgrade. Alfond, 93, fought cancer for nearly two decades.

Originally from the Boston area, Alfond left his mark in Maine. Alfond provided grants to other Maine institutions through the years, including Colby College, the University of Maine system and the University of New England.

He also made an impact in the Lakes Region. With the help of the Harold Alfond Foundation, St. Joseph’s College was able to complete two major projects in recent years. The college received a $1.6 million matching grant from the foundation to build a new athletic and recreation facility, the Harold Alfond Center, on its lakeside campus on Sebago Lake. And in 2004, the college opened a 50,000 square-foot academic building, named Harold Alfond Hall, with the help of a $1 million grant.

Most recently, the foundation donated $100,000 to the college upon the departure of David House, who was president of St. Joseph’s for more than 10 years.

Alfond, an entrepreneur who formerly owned Dexter Shoe Company and a share of the Boston Red Sox, was featured in Forbes Magazine in 1996 in a story identifying America’s largest family fortunes. Alfond made the list, with a net worth of $875 million.

“He made money and he gave money,” said Sister Mary George O’Toole, vice president for sponsorship and mission integration at the college.

O’Toole remembers a fellow Sister of Mercy, Joyce Mahany, becoming friends with Alfond years ago when she was development director at the college. Mahany made a habit of presenting Alfond with freshly baked apple pies whenever the two would meet. It was Mahany who worked with Alfond on his first contribution to the college in the early 1980s.

O’Toole has seen a dynamic change in the college since she first started working at St. Joseph’s more than 30 years ago. She said the Harold Alfond Recreation Center and Harold Alfond Hall brought drastic improvements to the campus. O’Toole remembered crowding into the old Currier gym for basketball games as being daunting, as people were forced to stand near the edge of the court because of space restrictions. And, in addition to the improvement to the learning environment Harold Alfond Hall brought, she is glad to see that faculty members now have private offices in the four-story building.

“We arrived at the 21st century, as far as the facilities are concerned. We’re able to compete with our peers as a college campus, because of the generosity of Mr. Alfond,” said O’Toole.

Enrollment at the college increases each year, and that is no coincidence, said Liz Schran, director of foundation relations. Schran worked closely with David House when applying for grants from the Alfond Foundation, and wrote the proposal herself. She said that the first year after the recreation center opened, applications for enrollment increased by 28 percent.

“His gifts have been transformative. This campus is not the same campus it was before Mr. Alfond made those investments,” said Schran.

Alfond last visited the college in September of 2004 for the dedication ceremony for the academic hall. Schran was part of a small group to give Alfond a tour of the new academic building in the summer of 2004, before a dedication in September. Schran remembers Alfond fondly, and said he was “nothing but 100 percent pleased” with the outcome.

“He was a very, very unassuming person. If you met him on the street, you wouldn’t take him for a multi-millionaire,” said Schran.

Saint Joseph’s has grown drastically over the last decade, but with plans to expand campus facilities further in the works, Schran hopes they will have the opportunity to continue working with the Harold Alfond Foundation. But she said it will not be the same, without its founder.

“Harold Alfond, as a person, is going to be so missed in the state of Maine,” said Schran.

Even the oldest students at the college do not remember the days when all classrooms were in the more antiquated Mercy and Saint Joseph’s Halls. But Katy Zore, who graduated in 2006, and now works at the college, said they were just breaking ground for Harold Alfond Hall during her freshman year, and the building’s technology and lecture halls make the building special.

“It all benefits St. Joe’s, but the community as well, because it’s all open to the public,” said Zore.

Zore said she never met Alfond personally, but attended the dedication of the new building in 2004, and was impressed with Alfond’s desire to share his wealth.

“(Alfond) seemed like a person who was very willing to help the future generations learn,” said Zore.

Harold Alfond, the businessman and philanthropist who donated more than $2.5 million to St. Joseph’s College in Standish for campus improvements, died on Friday at his home in Belgrade. Alfond, 93, fought cancer for nearly two decades.

Originally from the Boston area, Alfond left his mark in Maine. Alfond provided grants to other Maine institutions through the years, including Colby College, the University of Maine system and the University of New England.

He also made an impact in the Lakes Region. With the help of the Harold Alfond Foundation, St. Joseph’s College was able to complete two major projects in recent years. The college received a $1.6 million matching grant from the foundation to build a new athletic and recreation facility, the Harold Alfond Center, on its lakeside campus on Sebago Lake. And in 2004, the college opened a 50,000 square-foot academic building, named Harold Alfond Hall, with the help of a $1 million grant.

Most recently, the foundation donated $100,000 to the college upon the departure of David House, who was president of St. Joseph’s for more than 10 years.

Alfond, an entrepreneur who formerly owned Dexter Shoe Company and a share of the Boston Red Sox, was featured in Forbes Magazine in 1996 in a story identifying America’s largest family fortunes. Alfond made the list, with a net worth of $875 million.

“He made money and he gave money,” said Sister Mary George O’Toole, vice president for sponsorship and mission integration at the college.

O’Toole remembers a fellow Sister of Mercy, Joyce Mahany, becoming friends with Alfond years ago when she was development director at the college. Mahany made a habit of presenting Alfond with freshly baked apple pies whenever the two would meet. It was Mahany who worked with Alfond on his first contribution to the college in the early 1980s.

O’Toole has seen a dynamic change in the college since she first started working at St. Joseph’s more than 30 years ago. She said the Harold Alfond Recreation Center and Harold Alfond Hall brought drastic improvements to the campus. O’Toole remembered crowding into the old Currier gym for basketball games as being daunting, as people were forced to stand near the edge of the court because of space restrictions. And, in addition to the improvement to the learning environment Harold Alfond Hall brought, she is glad to see that faculty members now have private offices in the four-story building.

“We arrived at the 21st century, as far as the facilities are concerned. We’re able to compete with our peers as a college campus, because of the generosity of Mr. Alfond,” said O’Toole.

Enrollment at the college increases each year, and that is no coincidence, said Liz Schran, director of foundation relations. Schran worked closely with David House when applying for grants from the Alfond Foundation, and wrote the proposal herself. She said that the first year after the recreation center opened, applications for enrollment increased by 28 percent.

“His gifts have been transformative. This campus is not the same campus it was before Mr. Alfond made those investments,” said Schran.

Alfond last visited the college in September of 2004 for the dedication ceremony for the academic hall. Schran was part of a small group to give Alfond a tour of the new academic building in the summer of 2004, before a dedication in September. Schran remembers Alfond fondly, and said he was “nothing but 100 percent pleased” with the outcome.

“He was a very, very unassuming person. If you met him on the street, you wouldn’t take him for a multi-millionaire,” said Schran.

Saint Joseph’s has grown drastically over the last decade, but with plans to expand campus facilities further in the works, Schran hopes they will have the opportunity to continue working with the Harold Alfond Foundation. But she said it will not be the same, without its founder.

“Harold Alfond, as a person, is going to be so missed in the state of Maine,” said Schran.

Even the oldest students at the college do not remember the days when all classrooms were in the more antiquated Mercy and Saint Joseph’s Halls. But Katy Zore, who graduated in 2006, and now works at the college, said they were just breaking ground for Harold Alfond Hall during her freshman year, and the building’s technology and lecture halls make the building special.

“It all benefits St. Joe’s, but the community as well, because it’s all open to the public,” said Zore.

Zore said she never met Alfond personally, but attended the dedication of the new building in 2004, and was impressed with Alfond’s desire to share his wealth.

“(Alfond) seemed like a person who was very willing to help the future generations learn,” said Zore.