William Richard Kerwin

Bill was born in 1934 in Peabody, Massachusetts, the second of five boys. After graduating from St. Mary’s in Lynn he served in the US Navy, and then attended the Massachusetts Police Academy. In 1957, he married his sweetheart Barbara Tongue of Danvers. The two of them were married for 64 years, and had a son, Sean, in 1973. Barbara was at Bill’s side when he passed.

Bill served in the police force for about 15 years, including as a Massachusetts state trooper and as the chief of police in Georgetown and then Wilbraham, MA. Always a wandering soul, his career pursuits took him west to the Berkshires and then north to Maine, as he worked as a mental health counselor, climbing instructor, program director for Outward Bound and then Gould Farm, the director of a YMCA, and a district manager for Central Maine Power Company. In retirement he kept himself busy working for the Conway Scenic Railway and as a carpenter.

Bill will be remembered as a man of deep principle with a great love for the outdoors. He loved to hike, particularly in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He was also a lifelong runner who competed in many races including multiple Boston Marathons and who greatly enjoyed the social connections of the running community. As a father, he passed on his passion for the outdoors and spent many selfless hours travelling around New England and New York to stand in bitter cold to support his son’s cross-country ski racing pursuits.

Bill was a lifelong Catholic whose faith was profoundly personal and important to him. In recent years, he attended church daily at the end of a long morning walk through the streets of Portland. His morning ritual usually included a stop at Starbucks, Coffee By Design, or other local coffee shop, and these visits were an anchor of his days. His family is grateful for the companionship and security provided by the staff of Portland’s coffee shops, which helped him maintain a sense of independence late in life.

Bill had most recently been living and being cared for at Pinnacle Nursing Home in South Portland, Maine, and the family would like to extend their deep gratitude for the attentive care that he received there, particularly during the difficulties of the COVID-19 crisis.

He is survived by and will be lovingly remembered by his wife Barbara of Scarborough, ME, his son Sean and daughter-in-law Laura Cannon of North Yarmouth, ME, and 2 brothers Jack Kerwin of Peabody, MA and Paul Kerwin of Avon, MA. Due to the pandemic, a service is being postponed. The family suggests that any gifts in memorium be made in his name to the American Alzheimer's Association, and that you tip your local baristas generously.