Former Rutland County Sen. Hull Maynard died Thursday at age 85. A Republican from Shrewsbury, Maynard served in the Vermont Senate from 1996 through November 2009, when he resigned his seat to spend more time with his family.
He was a close friend and neighbor of the late U.S. Sen. James Jeffords.
Maynard became active in Republican Party politics after launching a successful insurance business in Rutland. As a lawmaker, Maynard had a keen interest in promoting education and transportation in the state.
Kevin Mullin, who served with Maynard in the Vermont Senate, described his former legislative colleague as "a true gentleman."
"Very scholarly, always wanted to know all the facts," Mullin said of Maynard. "Always tried to do what he felt was right for the people that he represented, and he was a true public servant and really loved people."
"He took me under his wing during my first campaign for the Senate," continued Mullin. "And when I first arrived in the Senate chamber, Hull moved over a seat so that I could sit in the middle. That way both he and John Bloomer, another Rutland County senator, could give me advice."
Maynard was born in 1934 in Connecticut and got his undergraduate degree at Middlebury College. After serving in the military during the Korean War, he and his wife settled in Shrewsbury where he was a longtime member of the town's volunteer fire department. He was also active in a number of other community groups, like the Rutland City Rotary Club.
He's survived by his wife, Taffy, and four children. Funeral arrangements are pending.
