KENNEBUNKPORT — The recent death of former President George H.W. Bush in November,  just months after the demise of his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush, hit Kennebunkport and the wider York County community hard.

Losing both of them in so short a span, was perhaps not unexpected, given their ill-health, but it was sad and people felt the loss.

The couple spent their summers at the Kennebunkport family compound, Walker’s Point. While summering in Maine, they boated and fished, took walks on the beach, attended church services, shopped at local stores and dined at local restaurants. Until latter years, the former president played golf just down the road at Cape Arundel Golf Club. The Bushes entertained other heads of state at Walker’s Point. And their children and grandchildren came to spend time with them at the oceanfront estate.

In news stories after their respective deaths, people spoke of the couple’s down-to-earth manner; of how they conducted themselves with grace.

The death on Nov. 30 of former President George H. W. Bush brought back memories to Sanford’s Police Chief Thomas Connolly, who was a major with the Prince George’s County Police Department in 1988.

“On Aug. 31, 1988, Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Sgt. Mike Murphy was killed in the line of duty,” said Connolly. He said that on that evening, Sgt. Murphy and his team were preparing to execute a narcotics search warrant on 64th Avenue in Riverdale.

“As they approached the target apartment, Sgt. Murphy assumed a kneeling position and deployed a hydraulic device to assist in making entry,” Connolly said. “As the device took effect, his teammates perceived a deadly threat from within the target apartment and responded with lethal force.”

Then tragedy struck. As Murphy stood up from his position, he inadvertently entered his colleagues’ line of fire and was gravely wounded.  He was rushed to the hospital where he died a short time later, Connolly said.

“George H.W. Bush was the vice president at this time,” said Connolly. “On the evening of Mark’s wake at a funeral home in Clinton, Maryland, I was standing at the front door.”

About 15 minutes before the wake was scheduled to end, “I saw two, black SUVs pull up to the funeral home, and Vice President Bush exited one of the vehicles,” said Connolly. “He quickly entered the funeral home, and spent about 10 minutes with the family and squad mates of Sgt. Murphy.”

“There was fanfare, no press, no hoopla,” Connolly said. “Just someone expressing his sorrow for a police officer who frequently was a part of the protection detail for the president and vice president.”

Fast forward 30 years, to when Connolly, who has been police chief in Sanford for a decade, had the opportunity to meet with the former president at Walker’s Point. The two chatted for about 30 minutes.

“I (told him about) the events of that night at the wake, and told President Bush that I had waited 30 years to personally say ‘thank you’ to him for paying his respects to a fallen officer, my friend, and about how honored we all were that the sitting vice president took time out his day to spend a few minutes with the family of a slain police officer,” Connolly said.

During their conversation, Connolly said he asked about former President George W. Bush and that the elder Bush remarked how nasty people were to the 43rd president, and how people would say nasty things to him in public.

“I remarked that President Bush 43 would be fondly remembered  for his leadership in the aftermath of the Sept, 11, 2001 attacks,” Connolly said, “and that he was obviously raised to be a good man by his father — like father, like son.”

“He turned his head for a few seconds, and then turned back to me, shook my hand and said  ‘how kind of you to say that, thank you. That just made my day,’” Connolly recalled. “We had coffee, talked about striper fishing, and then I left.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.