Stephen Edward Monaghan

1927 - 2016

Stephen Edward Monaghan, 89

CAPE ELIZABETH - Stephen Edward Monaghan, M.D., took his final swing and said good bye to his family on Sunday, June 26, 2016, at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough.

Though he struggled with his health during his remaining months, he did so with scrappy Irish grit. He was loved and cared for by many, and though he will be missed dearly, he brings comfort to all in knowing he has now joined his friends, his dear sister Kathleen ("Kay") Monaghan Corey, and the love of his life, his wife, Luisa Camarda Monaghan.

He is survived by his seven children, Stephanie, Nance, Patricia, Kimberly, Stephen, Jane, and Elizabeth; their spouses William Blout, Carl Franson, Faimafili Te'o, Samuel Robinson, and Kurt Nielsen; his 17 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; his brother, Thomas Monaghan; and his seven nephews and their families.

Dr. Monaghan was born on March 9, 1927, in Gardiner, the middle of three children of Stephen and Maria Monaghan. He graduated from Gardiner High School in 1944. He matriculated at Bowdoin College in the class of 1948, but left to join the Navy when he reached the age of 18.

After graduating from Bowdoin, he attended Albany Medical School, where he met his future wife, Luisa. Dr. Monaghan started his practice of orthopedic surgery in Portland in 1959. He was a longtime member of the Maine Medical Society, served for many years on the Board of Licensure in Medicine for the state of Maine, and received an Alumni Award from Albany Medical School in 2008.

Dr. Monaghan was well-known for his dedication to his profession, his love of his wife and children, and his enthusiasm for life. As a doctor, he always found a way to make sure that people got the help they needed, and many of his patients became lifelong friends. His A-frame at Sugarloaf was a well-known gathering place for après-ski fun as well as a triage center for unlucky, injured skiers on their way to the hospital.

He loved music, dancing, skiing, golf, gardening, his children, and most of all, his wife, Luisa, of 44 years, who passed away in 1996. In his later years as his health declined, he was unable to participate fully in many of the activities that gave him so much pleasure. Yet, he never stopped dancing and playing the ukulele.

The family would like to express sincere gratitude to the nurses and staff at the Veterans Home in Scarborough for their compassionate and dignified care provided to Steve. Also, a very special thank you goes to his many friends and caring staff at the Village Crossing in Cape Elizabeth, where he lived for almost three years.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, July 7, from 5-8 p.m. at Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Rd., South Portland. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 8, at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, followed by committal service at Riverside Cemetery and a celebration of Steve's life at Sprague Hall, all located in Cape Elizabeth.