Kennebunk mourns loss of Shiloh Schulte: 'He's the kind of person you want in the world'
KENNEBUNK, Maine — As the community mourns the death of Shiloh Schulte, one of its most liked, respected, and dedicated citizens, there is one word that Select Board member Kortney Nedeau says describes the loss.
'It's immeasurable,' Nedeau said. 'It's just such a shock. He was the kind of person you want in the world.'
Schulte, 46, died in a helicopter crash while conducting conservation work in Alaska on June 4.
As outpourings from the community have shown, the former chair of the Kennebunk Select Board will long be cherished and remembered as a kind, energetic, and generous man who was devoted to his family, dedicated to his hometown, and passionate about celebrating and protecting nature, especially its birds.
On social media, for example, Nedeau provided a heartfelt example of Schulte's impact as a community member and his ability to inspire others. She said Schulte was one of the reasons that she ran for a seat on the Select Board five years ago.
'He was encouraging, courageous, genuine, even-tempered, and fair,' Nedeau wrote in a post. 'It was such an honor to serve the town of Kennebunk in such a thankless job with someone who understood our work was above ourselves ... He was so humble, insightful, and honest.'
Nedeau expanded on Schulte's character during an interview.
'He was unassuming,' she said. 'He was always listening first and was the last to speak. He always rose to the occasion. He always showed up.'
And his impact went well beyond Kennebunk, Nedeau noted, so much so that she imagined that the duties of small-town government and community volunteering must have been a 'piece of cake' when compared to the hard work he accomplished throughout the world.
More: Conservationist Shiloh Schulte, of Kennebunk, dies in research helicopter crash in Alaska
Schulte worked with Manomet Conservation Sciences, a Massachusetts-based organization dedicated to using 'science and collaboration to improve the health of flyways, coastal ecosystems, and working land and seas,' according to its website.
Among his contributions, Schulte coordinated the organization's American Oystercatcher Recovery Program and is credited with helping to rebuild the presence of that large shorebird – once believed to be completely out of existence locally – by as much as 45%.
Nedeau said she and her colleagues on the Select Board would always know where Schulte would be come summertime as they worked out their meeting schedule for June, July, and August. Schulte, she said, would always tell them, 'I'll be in a tent, in the Arctic, unreachable – so do whatever works best for you guys.'
Indeed, with June here, Schulte was in Alaska, pursuing his passions, fulfilling his commitment to protecting nature, and meeting his responsibility to future generations.
'Shiloh gave his life in the service of something greater than himself, dedicating himself to preserving the natural world for future generations," Manomet Conservation Sciences said in a statement announcing the tragedy.
Schulte also was an avid and accomplished runner, who became the top Maine finisher of the Boston Marathon in 2019, completing the race in two hours and 39 minutes, according to the Dirigo Run Club, to which he belonged.
In a social media post, the club described Schulte as 'known to always have a smile on his face' and as a 'fierce competitor.'
Schulte served on the Kennebunk Select Board for a few years before ascending to the chair in the summer of 2022. Nedeau nominated him for the post, praising him as someone who knew how to lead a meeting, and who had a 'really great way about him to move things forward, regardless of where he is on the spectrum of an issue.'
Schulte succeeded longtime Select Board member Blake Baldwin as chair. Anyone who followed the Select Board meetings during Baldwin's tenure could see the respect and esteem Baldwin had for Schulte and for the contributions he made to the discussions and hard decisions about town issues.
'He was the cool head that calmed troubled waters,' Baldwin said during a phone interview. 'For that, I was grateful to have him on the board, not just as a colleague but as a friend.'
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Schulte's family, including his wife and their two daughters. The GoFundMe campaign has a goal of $45,000. By the early afternoon of June 9, a total of $39,062 already had been raised.
On the GoFundMe page, Schulte's family also refers to his passion for the natural world, describing him as an explorer of forests, wetlands and birds since an early age.
Importantly, though, Schulte was more than a scientist, his family says on the fundraising page.
'He was a devoted husband and father, a loving son and brother, a generous neighbor, and a pillar of his community,' they said. 'Shiloh gave his all – always with a warm heart and a boundless energy.'
In his interview, Baldwin also spoke of what Schulte was and always will be, not just to him, but to others. He spoke of Schulte's compassion for other people.
In describing the impact that Schulte had, Baldwin referred to one of the most beloved movies of all time, 'It's a Wonderful Life.'
In that Christmas classic, Clarence, the angel who is trying to earn his wings, explains to George Bailey, who wished he had never been born, what happens when people lose someone they love. Some people leave a big hole, Clarence said.
Some people are part of your soul, Baldwin said, and when they are gone, 'they leave a big hole.'
Said Baldwin, 'Shiloh is one of those people.'
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk mourns loss former Select Board chair Shiloh Schulte
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