WILTON – Paul McKeen had overseen miles of roads in unorganized territories as Franklin County’s road agent since 1995. He was responsible for overseeing and maintaining all the county roads.

It was a job the Wilton man held until his death Sept. 28 at Maine Medical Center in Portland after a long battle with cancer.

He was very sick the last month, said county Clerk Julie Magoon, and went downhill quickly during the last week,

“Paul was a good guy,” she said. “He was very willing to go out and check on a citizen’s complaint. He would take a project and get it done pretty quick.”

He was well-liked, she said.

“He always had a joke for you,” Magoon said. “He had a good sense of humor.”

Every spring he’d go out with commissioners to look at the roads and make a plan for repairs and maintenance, Magoon said. He had a lot of knowledge of roads and bridges, she said. She worked with McKeen on the bids for road projects, which he oversaw from start to finish.

McKeen had worked for the state Department of Transportation for nearly 40 years, retiring as a supervisor in 1993.

“Paul’s going to be very hard to replace,” Magoon said.