“I really enjoyed taking this portrait of John. If you know him, you realize just how patriotic John is. He loves this country, so I feel lucky to have captured him in his office in front of this print by local artist W. Robert Paine. The original hangs in the White House.”

John Downing’s connection to the Kennebunks goes back to the late 1600s. His family ultimately settled on the aptly-named Downing Road in Kennebunk. John Downing grew up locally, graduating from Kennebunk High School in 1954 and from Nasson College in 1959 with a degree in business. Nasson honored Downing with the Gold Key award.

He began selling real estate in 1957 while still in school, because his father passed away and he was financially supporting his mother and sister. He is a past president of the York County Board of Realtors and is the founder and owner of Downing Real Estate Agency located on Storer Street in downtown Kennebunk. As a realtor for more than 50 years with over 9,000 transactions, it is believed that Downing has been selling longer than anyone in York County. His son and daughter have joined him in the family business.

Downing is civic-minded. He has been a Rotarian for more than 40 years, is a past president, and was given the Outstanding Rotarian Award in 2007. In addition, he has served as a trustee of the University of New England for 15 years and chaired its finance committee. Politically active, Downing has been the York County Chairman for the four presidential campaigns undertaken by George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.

“To me, the Kennebunks represent pride, family, home, friends, and security.”