Obituary: William Lewis Densmore Sr.
Portland Community Mourns the Life of William Lewis Densmore Sr., 95
Portland, Maine — The Portland community lost a longtime resident, educator, and veteran on September 10, 2026 when William Lewis Densmore Sr. passed away at his home with family nearby. Densmore, a 95‑year‑old native of Portland, will be remembered for his steadfast dedication to teaching, his military service, and his lifelong love of the outdoors and music.
Densmore was born on March 27, 1931, to Sheldon Densmore and Evelyn Connolly Smith. Although his family began in Portland, he spent his early grammar‑school years in South Boston, where he attended Saint Brigid Church and public school. Those years cultivated his passion for learning, music, and a desire to become a teacher, while his enthusiasm for Boston sports made every game feel like a high‑stakes contest.
After school, Densmore worked as a brakeman on the railroad for 32 years, a position he maintained while also serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. During his service he endured a lung injury sustained during nuclear bomb testing in Nevada. When his military duties concluded, the GI Bill enabled him to enroll at Gorham Teachers College, where he met and married Evelyn McMerriman. Their marriage lasted 56 years and produced two children, William Jr. and Patricia.
While still supporting his family with railroad work, Densmore earned a master’s degree in guidance counseling from the University of Maine at Orono. He went on to teach in several schools—North School, Jack Junior High, and ultimately Portland High—retiring after a distinguished 30‑year teaching career that left a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike.
Beyond the classroom, Densmore was a man of many interests. He played the harmonica and tin whistle, sang, and danced with his grandchildren, and he was an avid sports enthusiast, participating in college teams, military squads, and an adult softball league. Even well into his 90s, he maintained a routine at the YMCA in Freeport, keeping fit through exercise.
An outdoorsman at heart, Densmore spent many seasons at his Naples camp on Trickey Pond, enjoying fishing from his boat or ice shack with family and friends. He was an active member of several organizations, including the Maine Education Association, the United Transportation Union, the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, the Irish American Club, the Rod and Gun Club, and the Elks Lodge. He also was a communicant at Saint Pius X Church.
Densmore’s family predeceased him with the loss of his wife, son Michael Patrick, and brothers Walter Francis and Richard Warren. He is survived by his children William Jr., Patricia, Kathleen (spouse Cesar Britos), Maureen Densmore‑Folsom, and Timothy (spouse Melanie), as well as 11 grandchildren—Caitlin, Fiona, Elena, Maura, John, Liam, Siobhan, Meredith, Elizabeth, Sean, and Sarah—and three great‑grandchildren: Ava, Colin, and Cara Crowther.
The family publicly thanked the healthcare team that cared for Densmore in his final years, specifically Dr. Timothy Baum, Dr. Jason Yahwak, and Dr. Martin Britos. They also expressed gratitude to the Park Danforth Community, where Densmore lived in independent living for the last decade, and to his longtime friend Jeremiah St. Clair.
Memorial Services
Visiting hours will be held Friday, September 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Conroy‑Tully Walker Funeral Homes (1024 Broadway, South Portland). A Christian burial Mass will take place Saturday, September 19, at 10 a.m. in St. Pius X Church (492 Ocean Ave, Portland), followed by a graveside ceremony with military honors at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland.
A memorial page and online condolences can be found at Conroy‑Tully Walker. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Densmore’s memory to the Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, or to Honor Flight Maine, Augusta.
Densmore’s life, spanning military service, a lengthy career in education, and a deep commitment to his family and community, will remain a touchstone for those who knew and loved him.
