NORWAY —  Those who knew Neil L. Dow best will remember him in much the same way as those he passed on the street each day. That’s because most everyone in Norway knew the 82-year-old Dow as a throwback to a generation too often forgotten in today’s hustle and bustle mobile society.

“He had a sense of what was right and what was wrong, and he knew how to treat people,” said Dow’s son, David. “It was often thought that he’d go on to bigger and better things, but he decided to take the small-town practice route. And the rest is history, as they would say.”

Dow was more than just a fixture in the small Oxford County town of less than 5,000 residents. He was a lifelong resident, semi-retired attorney, former judge, grandfather and member of a “melting pot” morning coffee crew that gathers regularly at the Lake Store to discuss everything from politics to people.

Dow was born in Lisbon Falls, but his parents moved to Norway in 1928. After graduating from Norway High School in 1944, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served overseas in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He returned to Maine in 1946 and graduated from the University of Maine in 1950.

He went on to study law at Boston University and returned to Norway following his graduation in 1952 to join his brother, Bob Dow Jr., in the law firm started by their father, Robert Dow Sr.

“He practiced law in Norway for more than 40 years. He was one of those guys in town that everybody knew — even if you didn’t do business with his office,” the younger Dow said about his dad, adding with a chuckle that “He was very personable, very well liked in a profession where people are not really well liked.”

Now a third-generation partner in the family practice, David Dow said that his father retired from the law office years ago, but recently returned to work in the firm’s title department. The younger attorney stressed how his dad exemplified his generation — often dubbed “The Greatest Generation” — because of his strong sense of community and commitment to the people around him.

David Dow described his dad as a man who went with his conscience and not always with his party when it came to politics. He said that even though his father may have been a staunch Republican, he always supported the person he considered the best candidate.

The elder Dow was assistant attorney general for Maine in the mid-1950s, but returned home to his Norway practice in 1957. Shortly after returning home he was appointed judge of the Norway Municipal Court, where he served on the bench until 1960.

Following a six-year stint as a lobbyist in Augusta, Dow again returned to his beloved Norway practice until his retirement in 1994.

“He certainly represents the best that small-town Maine has to offer,” said Ben Tucker, a local Norway historian and close friend of Dow. “People like Neil are a dying breed. They grew up in a community, went to school there, went away to school and then returned home to leave their community a little better than they found it.”

Tucker, 58, is one of the many members of the morning coffee “melting pot” crew. He said Dow was distinguished, but not pretentious. He said that his friend made it a point to get to know as many of the people living in Norway as he possibly could.

Tucker said his friend was a wealth of information when it came to the history of Norway and her townspeople and his family. One of his favorite stories about Dow was how the former attorney kept a book of nicknames, where he recorded every nickname that anyone in Norway had ever been given.

In addition to his longtime close friend, Edna Frisbie, Dow is survived by his son David and three daughters, Deborah, Melinda and Joanna, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“He always used to say that he was lucky to be right in the middle of remarkable parents and remarkable children,” Tucker said. “He loved this town and really worked hard to leave it a better place than he found it.”