Former Maine state Sen. Stanley J. “Stan” Gerzofsky, who fiercely advocated for Brunswick as an elected official in Augusta, died at the age of 81 on Jan. 21.
His passing was confirmed by Marcia Homstead, former Assistant Secretary to the Maine Senate and Gerzofsky’s friend.
Friends in the Maine political sphere remembered Gerzofsky as a significant presence in the Legislature.
“Stan had a Senate-sized personality,” said state Rep. Dan Ankeles, who knew Gerzofsky well. “I will remember him fondly.”
A funeral service has not yet been announced.
Gerzofsky was born on Dec. 18, 1944, in New York City to Mary “Molly” Pitcher and an unnamed father, who died in World War II, according to his mother’s obituary.
The family moved from New York City to California and then Vermont before finally settling in Brunswick, where Gerzofsky spent the rest of his life.
Gerzofsky spent some of his career as a furniture maker before entering the Brunswick political scene, where he would become a fixture.
His political career began in 2000, when he was elected to the Maine House of Representatives, representing Brunswick. He served in the House until 2008, when he ran for state Senate.
“He was deeply committed to the community he represented,” said state Sen. Mattie Daughtry, who knew Gerzofsky for many years. “He worked hard to advocate for the needs of his neighbors and was well respected across his district.”
A Democrat, Gerzofsky served in the Senate until he termed out in 2016. Always keeping Brunswick in mind, he was key in the redevelopment of Brunswick Landing and Brunswick Executive Airport, and he brought the Mere Point Boat Launch to the town. Perhaps most notably, he sponsored the bill that led to the development of the Brunswick Landing campus of Southern Maine Community College.
In honor of his work redeveloping the town, a road in Brunswick Landing was named “Gerzofsky Way.”
“Stan cared about the least among us and the regular Jane or Joe. He was a strong Labor supporter,” shared Mark Bryant, a former state representative and friend of Gerzofsky, in a message to the Portland Press Herald.
Gerzofsky was also the leading advocate in the Maine Legislature for dam safety, and served as co-chairman of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Forensic Mental Health Services Oversight Committees.
In 2020, Gerzofsky made a run to once again represent Brunswick, challenging Rep. Mattie Daughtry for the Senate District 24 seat. He lost the race, but to those close to him, it was clear why he ran again.
“It was really the high point of his life, I think, serving in the Legislature,” said Gerzofsky’s stepbrother Rick Sharp, 73, of Colchester, Vt.
