Edward Norris Stowell Sr.

SOUTH PORTLAND – Edward “Ed” Norris Stowell, Sr., 84, passed away on Aug. 7, 2023 at the Gosnell House in Scarborough from Amyloidosis Heart Disease.

The eldest of five children, Ed was born at the home of his parents in North Yarmouth on June 28, 1939 to Everett N. Stowell and Annie (Crockett) Stowell.

Ed attended Portland High School and later married and helped to raise his children in Yarmouth. One of Ed’s first jobs was working at Cushman Bakery and while there Ed started his own Rubbish route in Yarmouth for residential and commercial customers in the surrounding towns of Yarmouth working weekends to earn extra money for his family. While his kids were growing Ed worked at the Maine Central Railroad in Portland as a Forman in the Signal Repair Shop and later went to work as a Tipper at Regional Waste but wanting to work alongside his son. Ed left Regional Waste to work for his son Eddie, Jr., owner of Yarmouth Septic Service, using heavy equipment and other various jobs, which probably was his favorite job. Ed always liked to be busy working or doing and was not a slow mover by any means. There wasn’t a person that could slow him down, though many tried. Ed never complained and even when he wasn’t feeling well, he told the doctors his goal was to get back to work. As Dr. Monica Thim, described Ed as a “Real Mainer with true Grit”.

Ed loved spending time with family and friends, laughing, hunting (nature walk), fishing, camping and traveling when the kids were younger, in his later years he visited Alaska twice, traveled to Mexico with his girlfriend Jan, driving his Model A Roadster pickup, browsing flea markets and the local dump for “treasurers”, bus trips with his parents, growing vegetables and flowers, drinking Moxie, reading the paper, helping his neighbors, eating ice cream and driving to Bartlett, N.H.

Ed as a younger man spent a lot of time in Bartlett, N.H. and there is where he met his longtime friend Carroll Hayes. Ed often spoke about his childhood in Bartlett and the stories he and Carroll could tell you of caddying on a golf course, hiking, riding the train and yes probably many shenanigans that he didn’t tell. Ed would continue that friendship in his later years and enjoyed visiting with friends and attended the Bartlett Union Congregational Church when he could. Ed had another long-time friend that he met in Casco back in the early ’80s at the family camp that he and his first wife had together. He and Bob Burns discovered that they both lived in Yarmouth, they worked on the camp road together, going to the local dump, driving around, going to his sons’ camp and yes more shenanigans. Ed had many more friendships through the years that have lasted a lifetime and he appreciated all of them.

Ed was a 50-year member of the Masons starting in Yarmouth at Casco Lodge #36 and later belonging to the South Portland Hiram Lodge #180, Ed was a 32nd degree Mason also in Commandry and Blue Lodge while also belonging to the Lewiston Kora Shrine Temple and the Scottish Rite 32nd degree.

He is survived by his first wife, Shirley (Boyington) Stowell, his girlfriend Jan Taylor Corey; son, Edward N. Stowell, Jr. of Yarmouth and his partner Kelly Austin, daughter, Christine (Stowell) Logan (Thomas) of Windham, daughter, Oanh (Nguyen) Rubink (Kevin) of Virginia, son, Dennis Nguyen of Maryland and daughter, Melinda Ridgell of North Yarmouth; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Ed is also survived by his four siblings, Sandra (Stowell) Reynolds, Jean (Stowell) Merrigan, Betty (Stowell) Geary and Wayne Stowell; dear friends Carroll and Nancy Hayes of Bartlett, N.H., Bob Burns and family of Yarmouth, his friends/neighbors on Hall Street; uncle, cousins, nieces, nephews and many more friends.

Ed was predeceased by his parents Everett N. Stowell and Annie Stowell; his wives Karen Pelton Stowell and Pauline Robishaw.

There will be a graveside ceremony by Wilson Funeral Home, Thursday, Sept. 28, at 2 p.m., at Moss Side Cemetery, 335 Main St., Cumberland, ME 04021 and a celebration of life to follow with a location to be determined.

The family would like to thank Martins Point for his nurse Michelle Drown, R.N. (his #1) who has cared for him for the past four years, Maine Medical Partners and Maine Medical Center doctors and nurses, especially Dr. Monica Thim, DO (his #2), Maine Health, the many doctors and nurses at Maine Cardiology in Scarborough and The Gosnell House for their kindness to Ed and his family.

In lieu of flowers,

donations in Ed’s name can be made to the:

Bartlett Union

Congregational Church

P.O. Box 132

Bartlett, NH 03812 or to:

Bartlett Historical Society

P.O. Box 514

Bartlett, NH 03812