Priscilla McCarty, music catalogue librarian from 1973-1993, died on February 21, 2016, in Falmouth, Maine.
(The following was published in the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram from February 28 to February 29, 2016):
CUMBERLAND – Priscilla Jane Hubon McCarty, 90, of Cumberland, died on Feb. 21, 2016, at Falmouth by the Sea where she had been a resident for many years. Born on December 10, 1925, in Lynn, Mass., to Edna Hart Hubon and Henry Hubon, she lived in and attended schools in Swampscott, Mass. Priscilla graduated from Pembroke College in Brown University with a B.A. in English in 1947, magna cum laude, and as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society. She worked at Little, Brown and Company in Boston as a secretary for a few years. She married Gerald N. McCarty, a fellow student of the Swampscott schools, on Sept. 3, 1949. They moved to Maine while Gerald attended and graduated from Bowdoin College. Both Gerald and Priscilla developed a long-term affection for Bowdoin College. Priscilla worked as a legal secretary for Franklin G. Hinckley, Esq. for three years until her daughter Jane was born in 1953. Her son Jeremiah, “Jeb,” was born in 1958.
Priscilla volunteered from 1953-1969 for a variety of organizations: Portland Public Library; trustee of the Cumberland Congregational Church; member of the Board of Directors of the Y.W.C.A., of the Portland Society of Art, of the Child and Family Services; was a trustee of Westbrook College; and served as president of the Junior League of Portland from 1959-1961.
From 1969 to 1972 she attended University of Maine’s graduate program in library sciences and earned her masters in library sciences in 1972. During part of this time, Mrs. McCarty worked full-time as a library assistant at Greely Junior High School in Cumberland. In 1973 she became a music catalog librarian at Bowdoin College where she worked for 20 years. She felt very fortunate to be doing a job she loved. She retired in 1993.
Priscilla and Gerry had lifetime passions for the ocean, boating, gardening, cooking “gourmet” food, bird-watching and reading a broad range of books and materials. Priscilla also was a talented knitter and taught Jane to sew. She was convinced by friends to go on a group tour to Greece which became a highlight of a lifetime.
Priscilla had strong values about having her children be exposed to as wide of a variety of opportunities as she could provide. She helped her children have a variety of experiences in life from sailing lessons, art lessons, Wawenock and other summer camps, church attendance, encouraging Jeb to go to boat-building school and Jane to have a semester abroad in college, to name a few.
Sadly, after 35 years of marriage, Priscilla lost Gerry to his early death in 1984. She was fortunate in that her involvement in the Bowdoin College community and the Harraseeket Yacht Club kept her connected to many friends of both of theirs.
In addition to her husband Gerry, she is predeceased by her sister Annetta Weinhardt of New Gloucester.
She is survived by Jeb McCarty of Cumberland; her daughter Jane McCarty Blackwell; son-in-law Clyde Blackwell and grandson Ian McCarty-Blackwell of Portland; and nephews and a niece: Carl, Seth, and Lucia Weinhardt of New Gloucester. She is also survived from her husband’s side of the family by her brother-in-law Philip McCarty, Angela McCarty, Suzan and Katina McCarty, Peter McCarty of Lynn, Mass., and Mrs. Raymond (Eleanor) Tyler of New Hampshire, niece Irene Tyler LaMonde, grand-niece Amy, nephews David and Mark David’s daughter Meaghan of New Hampshire.
Priscilla generously donated to many organizations over the years: Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust, Portland Museum of Art, Brown University, and Bowdoin College Library to name a few.
Priscilla’s family would like to express gratitude to the staff of Falmouth by the Sea for their very kind care of her over these years.