Nathaniel Bowditch

BOWDITCH, Nathaniel "Nat" 53 years old, of Kittery, and Islesford, ME, and formerly of Richmond, ME, died peacefully at his home in Kittery surrounded by his loving family Thursday morning, September 4, 2008, after a courageous year-long battle with multiple myeloma complicated by amyloidosis. Nat was born in Boston, MA on March 7, 1955, eldest son of Philip N. and Marion Coulter Bowditch. He spent his early years in Cohasset, MA, attended Derby Academy, Governor Dummer Academy and Thayer Academy. Nat graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography in 1979. He married Lynn Spann in June, 1981, at his family's summer home on Islesford (Little Cranberry Island), Maine. One of Nat's most firmly held beliefs was in the importance of furthering local talent, businesses and resources. Initially a valued staff member of the Maine Arts Commission, where he actively advanced the arts through Maine's Percent for Art program, he subsequently served as the State's Deputy Director of Tourism for over 17 years. He took great pride in living in the State of Maine, and in promoting its unique beauty and ways of life. Once, as an attendee at a New England tourist industry conference he met with a peer from the State of New Hampshire; this took place after the venerable "Old Man of the Mountain" had fallen from the slopes of Profile Mountain. He had a photograph of a similar rock formation at Bunker's Neck on Little Cranberry Island, which could only be seen at low tide. He approached his New Hampshire friend and suggested that perhaps the "Old Man" had merely sought a change of view, and was enjoying the coast of Maine after a long stay inland in New Hampshire. His genuine pleasure in providing for the enjoyment and comfort of others then helped him to prosper as a successful proprietor and innkeeper of the Portsmouth Harbor Inn & Spa of Kittery, ME, which he and his wife bought in 2004; his hospitality, his fresh chocolate chip cookies, and his chocolate Lab Maja, were much appreciated by guests from around the world. The simple things in life are perhaps what Nat enjoyed the most. A nice glass of wine, a good meal, music, and the company of his family and friends were some of the finest things in Nat's life. The artist in him enjoyed sketching, painting in watercolors, and taking photos; and his love of nature and the outdoors led him to adventures in hiking, canoeing, sailing, and creating and maintaining glorious organic gardens wherever he lived. Travel was another of Nat's enthusiasms. Nat and Lynn traveled extensively in Europe, and loved visiting the Island as often as possible throughout their life together. Nat's natural way of making others welcome will be greatly missed, but not easily forgotten. His examples of kindness and compassion for others will be carried on by those who knew him. Nat is predeceased by his father Philip. He leaves behind his mother, Marion Coulter Bowditch of Scarborough, ME, his wife, Lynn Spann Bowditch of Kittery, ME, a brother, Stephen Bowditch of Newburyport, MA; two sisters, Jean Stuckey of Portland, ME, and Eleanor Pettipaw of Ellicott City, MD, an uncle, Nathaniel Bowditch and his wife Constantia of Peterborough, NH, an uncle, Robert Coulter and his wife Paige of Center Sandwich, NH, and several nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends. A service in celebration of Nat's life will be held at The First Religious Society in Newburyport Unitarian Universalist, 26 Pleasant St., Newburyport, MA on September 29, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. A reception will follow at the Custom House Maritime Museum, 25 Water St., Newburyport, MA from 4:00-7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Nat's family requests that memorial donations be made to the Pan-Mass Challenge, www.pmc.org, or to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, www.multiplemyeloma.org. Services for the Bowditch family have been under the care of the J.S. Pelkey Funeral Home of KITTERY, Maine.