Obituary: Diana Brooks

MONMOUTH – Diana Brooks, beloved by her family and deeply mourned, died of natural causes on July 11, 2020 at the age of 107 at her home in Monmouth. As the oldest person in Monmouth, she had been the holder of its Boston Post cane since 2014. She attributed her longevity to a piece of chocolate at lunch and daily afternoon tea.

Born in Grays, Essex, England in 1913, Mrs. Brooks was the daughter of John Aslett and Janet Sarah Fletcher. She attended the Convent School in Grays and subsequently went to boarding school in London at La Sainte Union.

She enjoyed telling stories of her growing-up years. Her first memory was of her father waking her and taking her to a window to witness a German zeppelin going down in flames during World War I. She vividly remembered being rushed to the hospital at the age of 7 in a horse-drawn ambulance after contracting diphtheria. Diana was an avid golfer as a young woman and once played 54 holes in one day. She enjoyed travel with her two close friends, Peggy Wall and Joy Riley, known by all as “the Three Graces.”

After completing a business course, she went to work for Dupont Chemical Company in London. Dupont pulled out of London at the beginning of World War II and Diana transferred to Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) where she met her husband, Malcolm Brooks. During the war she took a watch every week on the roof of ICI’s London office building, manning a fire hose and looking out for incendiary bombs. In 1947 Diana followed her husband Mal to the United States where he had taken a job with ICI in New York. The Brooks family lived in Wilton, Conn.

Over the years, she crossed the Atlantic 25 times, all but a few by boat. She and Mal Brooks became U.S. citizens in 1991. In 2000, following her husband’s death in 1993, Diana and her son, Johnny moved to Maine to be near her daughter, Judy.

Diana was exceptionally adept in the kitchen, and her English specialties, such as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, veal and ham pie, Victoria sponge cake and Christmas cake, were culinary hits at family occasions. She was also a talented knitter and needleworker who knitted Christmas stockings for all her family and made beautiful needlepoint pillows that grace her living room. She read widely, enjoyed reading aloud to her son, Johnny, and was a master at crossword puzzles. She and her husband Mal were avid gardeners. A highlight for many years for the whole extended family were vacations on Block Island, R.I. with tea in bed with “Gran” in the morning and long idyllic days at the beach.

Diana was devoted to the care and well-being of her son, Johnny Brooks, who has cerebral palsy. She was concerned with the welfare of all children with disabilities and was honored in 1957 by the Easter Seal Society for outstanding service.

She had a friendly and lively interest in everyone and, consequently, was blessed with many long-lasting friendships with people in England and around America. As one granddaughter said, “she was the kind of person you wanted to be around.” She was definitely at her best holding court at afternoon tea where her witty and sarcastic humor shone through! Diana had an extraordinary ability to keep up with the times and to embrace social change. She was deeply open-minded and openhearted.

Diana Brooks is survived by her three children, Carolyn Brooks (Peter Morrin) of Louisville, Ky., Judy Brooks (Steve O’Donnell), of Monmouth, and Johnny Brooks of Monmouth and her stepson, Richard Stotter-Brooks (Elaine) of Bournemouth, England. She is also survived by her four devoted grandchildren, Matthew Morrin (New Orleans), Diana O’Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Lillian O’Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Rebecca Morrin (Baltimore, Md.) and her step-grandchildren, Andrew, Tim and Stuart Stotter-Brooks.

The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Diane Beasley, Meagan Floyd, Francine Colwell, Vanessa Roy, Debbie Belanger and the many other devoted caregivers who have assisted Diana and Johnny over the years.

Memorial donations may be directed to the

Theater at Monmouth or the Kennebec Land Trust

Rupert Neily III

Executive Director, Theresa Kerchner, shares this remembrance of Rupert:

For those of you who were fortunate enough to be friends with Rupert, you know he was a conservation champion and a roamer. He loved to hike in the backwoods and coast of Maine and often sent along beautiful paintings and poems after his adventures.

 In 2003, Rupert arrived at the downtown Winthrop KLT office door with a request that we drive to Augusta so he could point out his then current passion - conserving Howard Hill! 

 I will hike the Howard Hill trails this weekend and think of Rupert. I am so happy that we could realize his conservation vision.

Tue, 04/28/2020 - 7:30am

Rupert Neily III

Rupert Neily III died in a cabin overlooking Knickerbocker Lake, Boothbay, Maine, on April 27, 2020, lovingly cared for by son Aaron, partner Leslie, and sister Sandy.

Rupert was born on Nov. 15, 1945 in Portland and grew up on Lincoln Street in East Boothbay. He graduated from Boothbay Region High School, where he played basketball and football and was president of his class all four years. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono, and had a passion for history. During the Vietnam War he served in the Coast Guard, from which he received an honorable discharge as a conscientious objector. He worked for several environmental and conservation organizations in Maine, of which serving as director of the Maine Land Trust Network was closest to his heart.

Rupert’s first and enduring love was the Maine woods, lakes, streams, hills and coast. They were his botanical garden. He avidly explored them on foot, bike and rowing and sailing his beloved Whitehall, his eye ever roaming to an alluring ridgeline. He learned how to find his way in the woods as a boy hunting with his father. He learned how to find spiritual nourishment from the mystery of nature all on his own, most especially during his recovery from a bone marrow transplant from his sister Sandy for leukemia in 1998.

The person Rupert most cherished was his son Aaron, his favorite companion on his favorite row from East Boothbay to South Bristol. Their connection ran deep, as they explored books, films and ideas with meaning for them both.

The Sisterhood — Liz, Sandy, Kathy and Joy — were a major force in Rupert’s life, and they dearly loved their only brother. Rupert saw them individually and collectively as forces of nature. They circled the wagons whenever he needed them, and he was in awe of and devoted to them.

In 2000, he found his “Pownal family,” the Hydes, through Dave and Steve’s Two Roads Maine, which partnered with Chewonki to offer guided wilderness trips as journeys of healing exploration. Steve Hyde became Rupert’s treasured and closest friend.

He met his partner Leslie Bird in 2005 on a ‘’Rupert’s Rambles” hike from Murray Hill Road to Farnham Cove. Leslie had to go on several more rambles before winning him over, but as her grandmother said, “he’s worth pursuing.’’

Rupert was mischievous, loved to trespass, was perplexed by rules and so generally avoided them. He found signs everywhere, layers of meaning unseen by the rest of us. He collected “icons,” things he found in his path, put there for some reason that was his work to figure out. A favorite was a fork flattened by a car tire, which became “the fork in the road.”

Rupert was predeceased by his parents, Elizabeth (Betty “Biz” Bisbee) and Rupert Neily Sr.

He is survived by son Aaron, partner Leslie, sisters Liz, Sandy, Kathy and Joy, their spouses and children, his former wife Ellen, and much to his delight last summer, a newly discovered sister, Anne. He was grateful to his doctor and friend of 22 years, Dr. Scott Schiff-Slater of Hallowell.

Contributions in Rupert’s memory may be made to the Kennebec Land Trust (www.tklt.org) or the Boothbay Region Land Trust (www.bbrlt.org). A time for remembrance will be found in the future.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

Louise Anne Macy

Louise Anne Macy, 95, of Canton, passed away February 2, 2020. Devoted daughter of the late David Kniznik and Bella Shatkin Kniznik. Beloved wife of the late Edwin A. Macy. Devoted mother of Deborah Macy Sewall (Sydney) and Barbara Jane Macy and the late David James Macy. Dear grandmother of Bella Sewall Wolitz (David) and Sam Sewall (Wendy Evans). Proud great-grandmother of Michael Wolitz, Joshua Wolitz, Justin Sewall and Leo Sewall. Loving sister of the late Estelle Klayman and Sylvia Fain. She was a loving aunt, cousin, and friend to many. Louise’s smile warmed all who met her.

Louise was a member of Temple Beth El in Fall River, Nehar Shalom Community Synogogue in Jamaica Plain and Kennebec Land Trust and Hadassah.

 Services at Wilson Chapel, 234 Herrick Rd., Newton Centre, MA on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 11 am, interment will follow at Temple Beth El Cemetery, Fall River. Shiva will be held at Orchard Cove, 1 Del Pond Dr., Canton, MA 02021 following interment until 6 pm, minyan at 5pm. Wednesday and Thursday shiva will be held at Nehar Shalom Community Synogogue, 6-8 pm, minyan at 7 pm.

Donations in her memory may be made to Temple Beth El, PO Box 871, Augusta, ME 04332, Nehar Shalom Community Synogogue, 43 Lochstead St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, Kennebec Land Trust, PO Box 261, Winthrop, ME 04364, or a charity of your choice.

David Payson Snow (1934 - 2019)

FALMOUTH FORESIDE - David Payson Snow, of Falmouth Foreside, Maine, passed away on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, in the company of his family.

Born to Roger Vinton and Alida Payson Snow on Feb. 1, 1934, in Falmouth. David lived most of his life in the Greater Portland area. He attended Wayneflete primary school, Falmouth public schools and Williams College (class of '56), where he was a member of the Sigma Phi fraternity. He was an active member of the Williams Alumni Association for over 60 years.

David met his future wife, Sandra Jane Stroud, at Waites Landing in Falmouth. They were married on New Year's Eve in 1956, and were devoted to each other until Sandra's death in 2016. Along with raising many dogs, David was a beloved father to five children, grandfather to 13 grandchildren, and a recent great-grandfather to a great-grandson.

A dedicated and successful businessman, David began his career at Westbrook American Paper, and then Canal Bank. He ventured out to found Northeast Marketing Research Company, ("Normark"), in Yarmouth and was the director of WABK radio in Augusta. David spent most of his career as a financial advisor, manager and senior vice president at Merrill Lynch in the Portland office, where he worked for 22 years. He then joined Morgan Stanley as senior vice president and retired in 2012. Although he enjoyed his long and fruitful career, David always made time for his communities, travel, family and friends.

David worked for many years on the Cumberland Town Council, as a chair, and board member. He also served on both the Greely and Falmouth School Boards, and was a member and Paul Harris Fellow of Portland Rotary. David generously supported many colleges, private schools, and his church. David's great grandfather was the first person to be baptized in the Brown family chapel (now the Episcopal Church of Saint Mary), where he was a senior warden, and an active lifelong member.

As a devoted father and athlete, David was instrumental in establishing the Seacoast Swimming Club in Cumberland and could often be found running meets and timing events, cheering on all of the participants (including all five of his children). He also competed in running and swimming events past his retirement, and enjoyed golfing, hiking, biking, and skiing with his friends, children and grandchildren.

Fast cars were a particular passion of David's. As a lifetime member of the Cumberland Motor Club, he won over one hundred trophies from races, rallies, and gymkhana/auto-crosses throughout New England. He knew every paved and dirt road, rarely needing a map when traveling, which he enjoyed doing worldwide. His favorite pastime of all, however, was creating and sharing memories with his large and loving family.

David was predeceased by his parents, and brother, Roger, his sister, Judith, and brother-in-law Arthur Benoit, and his wife of 59 years.

He leaves behind his children, Kitsey Snow and her husband, Tim Nuland of Ridgefield, Conn., Cmdr. Richard Snow USN (ret.) and his wife, Lori, of Yarmouth, D. Robinson Snow of Portland, Mary Snow EdM and her husband, Ross FitzGerald EdM, of Watertown, Mass., Lt. Cmdr. TC Adam Snow, USA (ret.) of Bridgton and Washington, DC.; sister-in-law, N. Lee Snow of Falmouth; 13 loving grandchildren; a great-grandson, many cousins, nieces, nephews, caretakers and friends.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 20, at 11 a.m., at The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary, 43 Foreside Road, Falmouth, Maine 04105.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the

Kennebec Land Trust

tklt.org

331 Main Street

Winthrop, ME 04364

or the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund

episcopalrelief.org;

PO Box 7058

Merrifield, VA 22116,

or the Maine Community Foundation

mainecf.org

245 Main St.

Ellsworth, ME 04605

Joan G. "Jet" Price (1946 - 2019)

MONMOUTH - Joan "Jet" G. Price died at her home in Monmouth on June 13, 2019. She was born at the Boston Lying-In Hospital in 1946, the first child of Thelma Alpert Price and Henry S. Price. She grew up in Newton, Mass., and was educated in the local schools. She graduated from Connecticut College in 1968 with a degree in fine arts and attended The Museum School before earning a master's degree from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 

Jet lived on a kibbutz in Israel for two years where she worked and studied Hebrew. While in art school and living in Jamaica Plain, she met a law student, Joseph "Joe" M. O'Donnell, and they married in 1975. As a young girl, she went to summer camps in Maine and fell in love with the state, so she needed little persuasion to settle there. The couple lived in Purgatory Village and restored a house there before moving two miles up the road to Monmouth to a brand new home that Jet had a large part in designing and building, along with establishing the many gardens on the property. 

Her elder son, John Ezechiel O'Donnell, was born in 1980, and her second son, Jacob Eamon O'Donnell, was born in 1983. Jet stayed with her sons at home where they benefited from her playful attention, fierce originality, and wit. She thrived as a mother and filled the house with her artistic creations and iconoclastic spirit while making sure her pantry was always copiously stocked. 

Jet served as a teacher in the Hebrew School at the Temple Beth El for many years. As a cheap date with her husband after hours at the Registry of Deeds, she learned to search real estate title and later worked abstracting with Attorney Paul Mills of Farmington and with Goodspeed & O'Donnell. 

In 2000, Jet became the art teacher at the Henry L. Cottrell School in Monmouth. She taught for over fifteen years. Every Monmouth student from the era still has a pinch pot or ash tray made within her massive spring project that she labored to complete before the end of each school year. 

Jet's prolific desire to create art lead her across many formats. She was adept at pastels, and made beautiful landscapes, but her main focus was pottery which she crafted in her home studio. She produced an impressive collection of mugs, bowls and vases. Her pottery art went through various phases, but her last was majolica, which she elaborately hand decorated with illustrations that often reflected her sly humor. 

A family aunt noted that Jet had golden hands, and indeed she knit, drew, sewed, wove, cooked, quilted and gardened. She traveled extensively, frequently to art museums. She enjoyed keeping active and loved badminton, running, walking, cross-country skiing, and swimming.

She leaves her husband; sons, John Ezechiel O'Donnell (Leah Kolenda O'Donnell) of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and Jacob E. O'Donnell (Alexa Baz) of Brooklyn, N.Y.; grandchildren Ada, Ezra, and Sylvia, all of Yorktown Heights, N.Y.; her brother, William A. Price, of Franklin, Mass.; her sister-in-law, Judy Brooks (Steve O'Donnell) of Monmouth; extended family and countless friends. 

Jet will have a family burial and then there will be a memorial service at East Monmouth Methodist Church, 573 Route 135 in Monmouth on June 21, at 3 p.m. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to

Kennebec Land Trust

P.O. Box 261

Winthrop, ME 04364

Temple Beth El

P.O. Box 871

Augusta, ME 04332

Doctors Without Borders USA

P.O. Box 5030

Hagertown, MD 21741

or a charity of choice.

Mary Merry Oatway

KLT remembers land donor Mary Oatway.

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Mary Merry Oatway died peacefully Saturday, Nov.17, 2018, at the age of 97.

She was born in Fillmore, Calif., on June 22, 1921, to Eugene and Blanche (Longley) Merry. She attended Smithfield and Norridgewock schools and graduated from Edward Little High in Lewiston in 1938. She subsequently graduated from Farmington State Teachers College.

In 1956 she married Gordon Charles Oatway of Augusta. She lived in East Winthrop for 58 years in the home they built together, raising two children.

Mary taught in Randolph Schools, Winthrop Schools, the State School for Girls in Hallowell, and provided continuing education for teachers. She served as Regent of the Augusta Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, President of the Kennebec Valley Garden Club, and on the board of directors of Viles Arboretum.

Full of adventure and curiosity, Mary was always welcome at any event. She was a person of diverse interests; writing, history, nature, and art, often the interests interwove in creative ways. Her design graced the cover of the Kennebec Valley Garden Club handbook for years and she was an integral part of the Blaine House Christmas decorating committee. A child of nature, she reveled in all things about the outdoors, hiking, gardening, birds, trees and creatures.

In 2012, Mary donated 89 acres of land to the Kennebec Land Trust, creating the Little Cobbossee Oatway Preserve. As her legacy she preserved the land in perpetuity for all to enjoy.

Mary was predeceased by her husband of nearly 50 years, Gordon Oatway, as well as eight siblings.

She is survived by a brother, George Merry, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; a daughter, Martha Oatway and husband, Robert Jordan, of Asheville, N.C., and their daughter, Page Spiess of Randolph Center, Vt.; a son, Seth Oatway and wife, Lelonie, of Braintree, Vt., and their children, Ian Oatway, Caroline Adams, Nicholas Adams, and Evan Adams.

Interment will be at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta in a private ceremony. In lieu of a funeral, an announcement will be made for a Celebration of Life at a later date.

Arrangements are under the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop, where memories and condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com

In lieu of flowers or donations, the family requests that well-wishers find a special place in their garden or the woods to remember Mary fondly and privately.

Published in Central Maine on Nov. 20, 2018

Dr. Robert Milton Ladd

KLT remembers former advisor, Robert Ladd.

Dr. Robert Milton Ladd 1928 - 2018 AUGUSTA -

Dr. Robert Milton Ladd, the son of George and Helen Filene Ladd, passed away on Nov. 22, 2018, at the Glenridge Long Term Care facility in Augusta.Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Sept. 25, 1928, he lived most of his life in Tucson, Ariz. and Manchester, while each year summering in Wayne. After graduating from Bard College and serving in the U.S Army he earned his M.A. in Education from Trinity College, taught at Hallowell High School, and received his D. Ed. degree from the University of Virginia. He then worked for the Florida State Department of Education as well as the Department of Educational Studies at Oxford University in England and, following his retirement, returned to Maine. He was a long standing trustee of Skidmore College, N.Y. and was awarded honorary alumni status. He also served as a director of the Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation of Boston, Mass., and served on the Board of Directors of Green Fields School in Tucson, Ariz.Bob was predeceased by his wife, Virginia Lewis Ladd in 1999; a son, Robert D. Ladd in 2013; and a brother, George Ladd III in 2006. Survivors include a brother, Lincoln and his wife, Gloria of Wayne; a daughter, Betsy Ladd of Wayne, two sons, J. Scott and his wife, Patricia, their children Samantha T. and Jackson S., all of Winthrop and William Ladd of Framingham, Mass.; his grandchildren, (family of Robert D.) Breinne F. Walton and husband, Luke of California, with their children, Lawson R. and Landen F. Walton, Joshua T. Ladd and his wife, Sarah, and their children, Kirin A. and Hunter T. Ladd, Aspen and Marley Peace of Minneapolis, Minn.A special thanks to the staff at Glenridge, Granite Hill Reflections Unit and Androscoggin Hospice.A private memorial service will be held in the summer of 2019. Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin Street, Winthrop. Memories, condolences, photos, and videos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of our website at www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.comIn lieu of flowers donations may be made to:Berry Dexter Wilson Ponds WatershedP.O. Box 234Winthrop ME 04364; orArizona Sonora Desert Museum2021 N Kinney Rd.Tucson, Arizona 85743

Allan "Al" Haury

WATERVILLE - Allan "Al" Haury, 84, of Waterville, passed away in his home on Nov. 19, 2018, with his wife and his stepdaughter present.

Al was born in Globe, Ariz., on Sept. 3, 1934, the son of Emil and Hulda (Penrier) Haury. Al attended Tucson Senior High School, one year at Pomona College in California and the University of Arizona in Tucson. He graduated from the university with a Mechanical Engineering Degree. After graduation, he worked for 13 years at General Dynamics Astronautics in San Diego as a design engineer on the Atlas Missile program. Al then went to work at the Westinghouse Ocean Research Laboratory, also in San Diego, where he designed underwater equipment for studying the marine environment. He moved to Annapolis, Md., with the Research Lab, continuing to do environmental research in the Chesapeake Bay. After four years, the laboratory closed and Al transferred to work at the Westinghouse Oceanic Division and Northrop Grumman Ocean Systems Division, also in Annapolis. He continued to work on U.S. Navy projects at this facility for 26 years. He then retired but continued working on these projects as a consultant for another 12 years.

After living in Annapolis for 35 years, he and his wife moved to Oakland, Maine, and shortly afterwards to Waterville.

Al was always interested in nature. His favorite hobbies were model airplanes, bird watching and hiking. While in Annapolis, he was quite involved with the Anne Arundel County Bird Club and the Maryland Ornithological Society. He went on birding trips to Panama, Costa Rica and Scotland. When he lived in Oakland, Al became a member of the Oakland Lions and the Augusta Bird Club. He was an active member of the Pleasant Street United Methodist Church and served as an usher and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

He is survived by his wife, Jane Bird; his brother, Loren Haury and his wife, Jan, and their son, Eric, of Sedona, Ariz.; his son, Christopher Haury and his wife, Trina; daughter, Lauren Evans of Tucson, Ariz.; stepdaughter, Sandra Jones and her husband, Stephan Jones; grandsons, Chris Haury Jr., Tony Evans, John Evans, Ryan Jones and granddaughters, Leah Haury, Sarah Moody (Evans) and Katelyn Jones; and great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018 at 2:30 p.m., at the Pleasant Street United Methodist Church in Waterville.

Arrangements under the direction and care of Dan & Scott's Cremation & Funeral Service, 445 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, Maine.

In the lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

The Kennebec Land Trust, 331 Main Street, Winthrop, ME 04364 or

The Pleasant Street United Methodist Church, 61 Pleasant Street, Waterville, ME 04901