The Celebration of a Life: Gerald E. Talbot

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God?
​(Micah 6:8)

Gerry's celebration of life:
May 21st at 10:00 am at the Merrill Auditorium
20 Myrtle St, Portland, ME
Burial will be at a later date.

​Flowers may be sent to
Jones, Rich, and Barnes Funeral Home
199 Woodford St, Portland, ME for delivery on Wednesday, May 20.

​Memorials may be made to Christchurch
designated to the Paul Carlson Partnership fund for medical education and child malnutrition relief.​ The Paul Carlson Partnership pioneered and supports hospitals and medical clinics in the northwest region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Click here to read the obituary

Bangor, ME 1931: Gerald Edgerton Talbot, born an eighth-generation Mainer, would go on to become a pioneering civil rights activist and Maine's first African-American legislator.
Gerald attended Bangor High School where he was a part of the football and track teams. Sports played a major part in his life, until being cut from the football team for medical concerns senior year—Gerald struggled to make it to graduation and gave significant credit to the school's JV and assistant football coach, Mark Shed, for giving him the motivation to see it through. In a 2001 interview, when asked about his influences growing up, Gerald recounts local athletes and neighbors, as among the biggest. After graduating, he proceeded to work in Bangor before moving to Portland, ME and joining the U.S. Army—toward the end his time in the service he married Anita Cummings, the love of his life, and eventually settled down in Portland after being discharged in 1956. There Gerald encountered significant racial prejudice, and trying to find work became a real problem. Ultimately finding work as a printer for Maine Printing Company, and later Guy Gannett newspaper companies​ where he worked for 25 years until retirement in 1991.

Gerald Talbot speaking in the House — 1975

USM Special Collections |  Gerald E. Talbot Collection

NAACP-organized march in memory of Rev. James Reeb, protesting racial injustice. Gerald and Anita Talbot are on the far right — 1965

​USM Special Collections |  Gerald E. Talbot Collection

It was during Gerald's time at Maine Printing Company that he was approached to lead a new NAACP of Portland (then later of Maine) in May of 1964. From there on, his work with the civil rights movement only continued to grow. Gerry's accomplishments were as impactful as they were varied—from leading the passage of the Maine Fair Housing Bill and Human Rights Act, to his work in the South protecting Black voters, to his work as a traveling educator and author here in Maine. He leaves behind a legacy of public service.

What stood out about Gerry in his retirement was his engaging smile, his warm greeting, and his openness to all people. Though much of his life was characterized by his pioneering struggle for justice, he was not embittered in his later life. His love for family and friend was abundant, and his faith in God led him to overflow with compassion and joy. He was a pleasure to know. Peace be to his memory. 

Works Cited

• ​Robitaille, Jeremy, "Talbot, Gerald "Gerry" oral history interview" (2001). Edmund S. Muskie Oral History        Collection. 383. https://scarab.bates.edu/muskie_oh/383
• Mistler, Steve. “Gerald Talbot, Civil Rights Leader and Maine’s First Black Legislator, Dies at 94.” Maine Public, 11 May 2026, www.mainepublic.org/maine/2026-05-11/gerald-talbot-civil-rights-leader-and-maines-first-black-legislator-dies-at-94
• “Gerald Talbot Obituary - Portland, ME.” Dignity Memorial, www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/portland-me/gerald-talbot-12881056