LEWISTON — Lawyer, author and former Mayor Paul Dionne died Thursday, and as word of his passing spread, many found it near impossible to describe the man’s achievements in just a few words.

Paul Dionne Submitted photo

It’s plain to see why.

As a soldier in Vietnam, Dionne earned two Bronze Stars, two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry and was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge.

As a lawyer and assistant district attorney in the Twin Cities, Dionne was such a luminary, even now the mere mention of his name draws words of reverence in legal circles.

He was mayor of Lewiston for four years in the 1980s and oversaw the redevelopment of Lisbon Street into a thriving corridor of commerce.

He was the author of two published novels that gained critical respect in literary circles.

He was family man, with two daughters who went on to teach in area schools.

And with all of that going on, Dionne still found time to work for philanthropic causes and mentored teens in Mock Trial competitions at area schools.

Dionne died at age 82 due to complications during surgery, according to his family. A day later, word was spreading fast about his passing.

Dionne was, said fellow attorney and former Mayor James Howaniec, “a beloved member of the Lewiston community. He loved Lewiston and devoted his life to making it a better place. His contributions as a mayor and lawyer will live on for decades.”

In addition to helping to reshape downtown Lewiston, Howaniec said, Dionne was also instrumental in bringing Lewiston-Auburn College to the city.

It wasn’t that Dionne was simply successful and hard working, according to those who knew him. He was genuinely a good man and a friend to all.

“He always had a good word and a smile for everyone,” Howaniec said. “He was one of the kindest people I have ever met. Paul will be missed greatly, and our thoughts are with his family.”

Even the man’s clients seemed to adore him.

Guy Desjardins, former Androscoggin County sheriff, retained Dionne as an attorney to work on matters such as wills and business arrangements. Like others, Desjardins was shocked to hear the news about Dionne on Friday.

“He was one of those guys that, no matter if you saw him every day or every six months, he always had a big smile and a hard handshake for you,” Desjardins said. “He talked to you like you were his best friend.”

Michelle Crowley, Dionne’s daughter, describes her father as a man who had an incredible gift of uplifting those around him; a man who sincerely wanted to connect with those people and to know more about them.

“To my dad, everyone was family,” she said. “Whether he greeted you with a fist bump or a hug, he always wanted to connect, to make people feel welcome, and to spread love.”

“My dad was, above all else, a family man,” she said. “He couldn’t wait to get the family together on Sundays for a barbecue or a spaghetti dinner, to watch the ball game or to play cards. No matter what we were doing, my dad had us laughing. He had a remarkable gift for lifting everyone’s spirits.

“He always saw the good in people and made each person feel like they were the most important one in the room. He was genuinely excited for others’ successes and readily supportive when someone was struggling. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told by people how much they love my dad and how much he means to them.”

Local attorney Ron Lebel was often at odds with Dionne in court and yet the two men respected and liked each other.

“Paul and I were spirited adversaries during our many years as trial lawyers,” Lebel said Saturday. “One of his favorite stories, which he was certain to tell in my presence, was a case in which he won a unanimous jury verdict against my client and then defeated me again on appeal to the Law Court. As a trial lawyer, he was an iron fist clothed in a silk glove: always cordial and respectful but unyielding.”

The two men often worked together at the Lewiston High School to teach students the finer points of law.

“We became close during our years coaching the LHS mock trial team, particularly during our trips to the national competitions in Athens, Georgia and Wilmington, Delaware,” Lebel said. “The kids adored Paul, who was always positive, supportive and enthusiastic. We labeled ourselves the good cop/bad cop duo and there was never any doubt about who was the good cop. He is largely responsible, along with his daughter, Michelle, who led the mock trial program, for bringing three state championships to Lewiston in six years.

“Paul had an enormous heart, loved people and lifted up everyone around him,” Lebel said. “Paul touched thousands of people in his lifetime and we are all better for it. We are in mourning today.”

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline recalls sitting with Dionne at a Lewiston High School football game not long ago. The weather was bad and both men were cold, yet neither wanted to be the first to leave. It became a game of cold weather chicken.

“I didn’t want him to be able to say that the younger mayor couldn’t take it,” Sheline said. “He kept encouraging me to go, but I wouldn’t do it. We ended up leaving together, but we only left when we were assured of a Lewiston victory.”

Dionne was, Sheline said, “the greatest guy in the world. Paul loved Lewiston and Lewiston loved him right back. We have lost a pillar in our community.”

Sun Journal photographer Russ Dillingham had been working on a book with Dionne. The book, tentatively titled “Reflections on the Spirit of L/A,” was meant to highlight the people, places and events that make Lewiston-Auburn a special community.

Dillingham, like so many others, was mourning the loss of Dionne on Friday.

“He was a devoted family man and a philanthropist,” he said. “He was a big part of the Lahey Foundation, an avid golfer and mentor of many, including me.”

As an author, Dionne frequently spoke to book clubs, schools and others about the nature of his work, often stressing that his novels, “The Priestess and the Pope” and “Madeleine’s Inquisition” incorporated the message that religious subordination of one sex to the other is wrong.

“‘Madeline’s Inquistion,'” Dillingham said, “is one of my favorite books of all time.”

Dionne was married to Diane Leblanc Dionne and has two children, Melodie and Michelle, along with several grandchildren. All of them, Michelle Crowley said, had benefited from Dionne’s zest for life.

“My dad showed us that family isn’t just who you’re related to,” she said, “it’s how you love and show up for each other. And because of his example, we all know a little better how to love, laugh, and lift each other up.”