Obituary: Cushman Dodge Anthony
Maine lawyer, mediator and pacifist Cushman Anthony dies at 86
Portland, ME – Cushman Dodge Anthony, a longtime advocate for peace, civil rights and community service, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. The 86‑year‑old, whose wife Maureen was at his side, was known for his quiet dignity, unwavering commitment to justice and Quaker faith.
Anthony was born in Boston on Oct. 14, 1939, to Julian D. Anthony and Eleanor Hopkins Anthony. The youngest of four children—Caroline, Dan and Steve—grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, where he began playing the violin and developed a love of sailing. Summers at his family’s Hamblen Farm in Wellfleet, a property his maternal ancestor founded in 1797, remained a cherished part of his life.
After high school, Anthony attended Amherst College, graduating cum laude in 1961. While there he was a member of the Phi Alpha Psi fraternity, served as commodore of the sailing club, and ran track. He entered Harvard University’s Master of Arts in Teaching program but left before completion to pursue a different path.
On April 13, 1962, Anthony received a commission as a lieutenant junior grade from the United States Navy Officers Candidate School. He served aboard the USS William V. Pratt, a Farragut‑class guided missile destroyer, during the Vietnam era. “War is not the answer,” the sentiment that would define his later life, became a motto on his home front. He was honorably discharged in March 1965 and immediately turned his attention to pacifism and the defense of conscientious objectors.
Anthony earned a J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan School of Law in 1967. He began his legal career in a prestigious Portland firm but soon shifted focus to representing men seeking conscientious objector status. He never billed clients for those services. He also taught law at the University of Maine School of Law and founded the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, which continues to help low‑income residents in southern Maine courts.
In 1988, Anthony partnered with Bill Howison and Martin Hayden, later adding Peter Landis and Cynthia Arn to the firm. He retired from active practice in 2004, but the firm remained in operation.
From 1986 to 1992, Anthony served as a state representative for South Portland in the Maine Legislature, chairing the House’s Select Committee on Corrections. He helped found Kids First in 1988, a nonprofit offering co‑parenting education and support for families in the midst of divorce. He served on its board of directors through the early 1990s.
Beginning in 2002, Anthony devoted himself to mediation and conflict resolution. He served on several national and local panels, including the Maine Interim Advisory Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Public Sector and as chair of the Judicial Branch’s ADR Planning and Implementation Committee. In 2011, the Maine Civil Liberties Union awarded him its inaugural Justice Louis Scolnik Award for contributions to civil rights and liberties.
Anthony’s faith led him abroad. In the mid‑2000s he travelled to Burundi and Rwanda for the African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams, teaching mediation to communities still healing from war and genocide. He endured poor living conditions and safety concerns, but described the experience as “powerful and humbling.”
His involvement in the Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church, where he met his second wife Karen Hart Reese, grew into leadership roles on the church’s Social Justice Committee and board of trustees. These positions helped him secure a seat on the Maine Council of Churches, eventually serving as its board chair.
A long‑time member of the Maine Indian Tribal–State Commission, Anthony advocated for greater benefits for Maine tribes, pushing for changes he believed should align the state’s settlement act with national standards—though the proposals were ultimately blocked by the legislature or governor.
Anthony also co‑founded Furniture Friends in 2015, an organization that distributes gently used furniture to people experiencing poverty. The charity has provided more than 16,000 items to families across Maine and received the Force For Good Award in 2017.
He left behind a large family. Survived by his wife Maureen, his first wife Carol Jane Van Landingham, and his children Thomas H. V. Anthony of Moscow, Russia, and Ellyn Anthony Leamon of Richmond, Vermont. Grandchildren include Alex and Jacob Leamon; Alexandra, Stephen, Robert Anthony of New York City; Andre and Katerina Anthony of Moscow; and granddaughter Jennifer Reese. He also leaves two stepsons, Michael and Brian Reese. The rest of his immediate family—including parents, siblings, and his second wife Karen—predeceased him.
Anthony’s death was a loss to the Maine community and beyond. “He was a man of exceptional character; one who will be loved and revered always
