John Francis Marr

John is survived by his wife, Jean; children, Jonathan Marr and his wife Melissa of Ventura, CA, Jessica Girouard of Rockland, MA, and Janine Castrucci of South Portland, ME, and his sweet French Bulldog puppy Marvella “Miracle”; sisters, Maureen Levesque and her husband Renee of Tewksbury, MA, Clare Weatherly of Charleston, SC. He leaves behind four grandchildren, Hayden and Hadley Marr, Evan Girouard, and Brady Castrucci; and many nieces and nephews.

John was born on July 19,1948, in Somerville, MA to Florence and William Marr. John graduated from Everett High School in1966 and went onto Boston State College to study Political Science and Psychology.

John was a larger-than-life character at MEMIC and in life. He founded MEMIC’s claim operation in March 1993, and led it for more than 20 years. He came to MEMIC from Travelers in 1993 to lead the Claim department. He was a passionate advocate for the work of his beloved department, and he worked tirelessly to support that team. He was well-known and respected in the workers’ comp industry across the country. If you ever went to a conference with John, you could not walk down any hallway without meeting someone who he knew, or who wanted to know him. He was as loquacious as he was erudite, and he loved to put his vast vocabulary on display.

John served his community wherever he was, and he made a lasting impact on Portland with his commitment to the Portland Rotary Club, which honored him multiple times with the Paul Harris Fellow, its top award, during his time at MEMIC. He also served on and led the Board of the Maine Chapter of the National Kidney Foundation, the Pine Tree Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Portland’s Downtown District, and the Maine Chapter of the American Heart Association. He served on the Citizen’s Advisory Board to the Portland Police Department. Among his most favorite volunteer jobs was as a conductor for the Polar Express train during the Holiday season at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, where he served on the Board of Directors. True to form, John wore his full navy-blue conductor’s uniform, complete with a large gold pocket watch.

A lover of history and travel, John’s retirement days included a lot of foreign travel between time with his grandkids. John leaves behind his wife, Jean, of nearly 53 years, who was with him on all the adventures, including their attendance at the original Woodstock in 1969. John’s great legacy lives on with his family and friends.

A private family interment will be held at the Old North Church in Boston, MA.

To honor John’s memory, we invite all that knew him to a celebration of life on Thursday July 18, 2024, from 5-9pm at The Italian Heritage Center located at 40 Westland Ave., Portland, ME 04102.