ROCKPORT — The community turned out to the Samoset Resort in Rockport on the afternoon of March 30 to honor the man who 41 years earlier had stood on that very property with fire chiefs and firefighters from many other towns and watched it burned to the ground.

The Samoset blaze was the biggest of Bruce Woodward's career, and it went down and into the history books just a year after he was named Rockport's fire chief at the age of 24.

Woodward retired as the town's only full-time fire department employee March 29. He was hired for the job in March 1971 by then-Town Manager Carl Betterly.

Betterly was one of more than a dozen people who went up to the podium Saturday afternoon and spoke fondly of Woodward, with some taking the moment to roast him in good fashion. Everybody got a big hug from Woodward after they spoke, and many choked back tears as they addressed him and the mass of admirers gathered around him.

Stepping up to the front of the standing-room only group, Lincolnville firefighter Mike Eugley gave everyone a good laugh when he said, "Bruce is a great guy and I can't say much that hasn't already been said, but I knew if I came up here I would get a hug..."

Eugley opened his arms wide, and Woodward hopped up and obliged with a big smile and extra-tight hug.

Betterley said he remembered back to when the town was considering hiring Woodward for the position. At the time, Woodward was working for the highway department and the current fire chief, Freeman Hawes, no longer wanted the job.

"I told the selectmen then that Bruce was a very good person from a great family, but they said he was too young to be fire chief. I said yeah, but I was 21 when you hired me as town manager last year," said Betterly.

Betterly talked about Woodward's ability to always be resourceful in his department, and about some trips they took to look at new trucks.

"Time is our most valuable possession. I want to thank Bruce for sharing his time with all of us these years," said Betterly.

Rockland Fire Chief Charlie Jordan praised Bruce Woodward, but he also thanked Bruce's wife, Jennifer for her love and support, which has allowed Bruce to do the work of a firefighter.

He said that Rockland and Rockport are often called to situations to provide mutual aid, and it's a relationship that has worked very well for a long time.

"Seeing Rockport come on scene is always especially comforting," said Jordan. "I wish you well Bruce."

Former Camden Fire Chief Robert Oxton, who worked many years with Woodward when Oxton was chief, said many people talk about training when they talk about Bruce Woodward.

"Let's get this right. Bruce didn't train anybody, he educated us all," said Oxton.

Oxton also told the story behind the squirt bottles bearing Bruce's picture that were on all the tables at the Samoset. Oxton said there was a fire on Pearl Street in Camden 20-23 years ago, when a homeowner called to report a smell of smoke in the house.

"I too smelled smoke, but couldn't find it, so we called Bruce to bring new 'gun' over that can find heat. He brought it over and said, 'Yep, it's awful hot at the chimney but it's awful hot over the stove in the kitchen too,'" said Oxton. "In my wisdom, I said let's take the ceiling down. The lady of the house said she didn't want us to tear hear new ceiling down and couldn't we do it another way. Then we brought in some lines and she said she didn't want all the water in her kitchen."

Oxton said Woodward then went out to his truck and brought in a small squirt bottle with water in it. He said they cut a small hole in the ceiling and sure enough, they found the fire.

"Bruce might have had to refill that squirt bottle a few times, but we got the fire out and we had a happy fire," said Oxton. "Nobody has done more for the firefighting community than Bruce C. Woodward. He was always educating us."

Hope Fire Chief Clarence Keller said the first thing Woodward taught him as chief a little more than 24 years ago came after a class.

"Bruce passed the roster around for everybody to sign and we all signed in. He told me I was going to have to learn how to spell 'chief' and I have to say, I never misspelled the word again," said Keller.

Rockport firefighter David Leighton is a second generation firefighter in the department that has seen three generations of Rollinses and plenty of fathers and sons, and brothers and cousins on the roster.

Leighton said the only time he ever heard the chief, renowned for his patience and mild manners, drop the "f-bomb" was when town selectmen got under his skin.

"We were all born into the fire service, but Bruce was born to do this job," said Leighton.

Islesboro Fire Chief Murton Durkee called Woodward a "father" to all the area fire chiefs. Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley said he had been one of the many people over the years that spent time in "Bruce's learning chair."

Rockport firefighter Gary Leighton said that while almost everyone has told what a good guy Woodward was, he was going to tell something different.

"Every once in a while, good guys get stymied. Bruce was trying to find the source of a smell in a ladies house and asked me to come over and take a sniff to see if I could figure it out," said Leighton. "I went out and sniffed and said, 'Smells like burnt toast.'"

Leighton said Woodward walked over to the toaster, looked in and said, "Yep, burnt toast."

Stepping up to the podium himself, Woodward thanked everybody and said what really got him choked up Saturday was driving up to the Samoset and seeing the Camden and Rockland ladder trucks with the American flag draped down between them. Each car had to drive under the flag, including the orange convertible-top Ford Mustang in which Bruce was being driven to the shindig.

"What really tipped me over was when I came through and saw the flag," said Woodward. "God bless American and every one of you people for being part of my life."

Woodward thanked Betterly, and agreed, with a smile, he was too young to be named a fire chief at the age of 24.

"I want to tell you, you can have all the shiny trucks and equipment, but if you don't have the dedicated people willing to learn, you have nothing," said Woodward.

Related stories:

• So many good words describe Bruce Woodward

Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached by email at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or by calling 207-706-6655.