After a long and fulfilling life, Kathryn T. McLoon Crowley passed away at the age of 100 years on Jan. 4, 2026, under the loving care of The Cedars Lunder Care Unit in Portland. Kathryn was born on June 13, 1925 in Damariscotta to Charles A. and Catherine T. (McCaughey McKie) McLoon. She was the third youngest of 10 children.
She loved her hometown of Damariscotta. Quite the wanderer, she knew everyone and everyone knew her. As was common for her generation during the Great Depression, she worked during her middle and high school years, with many years employed at Poland’s Drug Store, covering the soda fountain.
Attending Lincoln Academy, she tried out for chorus and was strongly encouraged to try out for drum majorette instead. That lack of singing talent never stopped her from belting out a tune to torture her kids. After graduation, Kathryn took the civil service exam and went to Washington, D.C., with Althea Cowan Pendleton and Barbara Sproul Guptill.
She worked as a statistician at the Navy Annex at the Pentagon, living at Arlington Farms, a government housing complex for women. She often recalled with fondness the good times and great friends she made there. She attended one of Harry Truman’s inauguration balls, where she saw Lucille Ball sporting a bright orange hair color – a vision that never left her mind. She also ice skated on the Reflection Pool.
While in D.C., Kathryn met Daniel J. Crowley, who was in the U.S. Marine Corps, and they married in 1950. Pre-marriage, Kathryn would purchase a pair of shoes after each paycheck, and Dan would joke how he thought he’d married a centipede.
Kathryn served her country in the role of Marine wife for 25 years. Whenever Dan was serving overseas or aboard ship, he could focus on the Corps’ mission, knowing that things at home were in good hands. Moving every one to three years, she always made a loving, stable home for her family. Whether living at Camp LeJeune (North Carolina), the Seneca Army Depot (New York), or Maine, Kathryn supported her children as a leader of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Brownies, and Girl Scouts and volunteered at the base Teen Club and as a school nurse. She had the gift of building community wherever she found herself, and the uncanny ability to connect with just about anyone.
After retiring from the Marine Corps, Kathryn and Dan came home to Damariscotta then settled in Westbrook. Kathryn began employment at Porteous, Mitchell, and Braun in Portland, working in lamps and luggage. Family and friends meant a great deal to Kathryn. Many summer vacations were enjoyed out at Pemaquid Lake in Damariscotta with her immediate family, her brothers, sisters, and their families and her friends. Dan and Kathryn were fortunate to travel to Ireland and England to meet and connect with many of her mom’s extended family.
Kathryn was predeceased by her husband, Dan; brothers, James, Charles “Shike” (Irma), Joseph Charles, George (Dana), Joseph Bernard, and Arthur “Doug” McLoon; and sisters, Florence McLoon, Clara Horie (Everett), and Ruth House (Calvin).
She is survived by her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, John and Martha Cannon, of Rochester, N.H.; sons, Daniel J. and Timothy W. Crowley, of Westbrook; daughter and son-in-law, Sheila and Michael Clements, of Augusta, and their son, Matthew Clements, of Rome, and his children, Julian, Landon, and Taylor; former sister-in-law, Mary Jane McLoon; several much beloved nieces and nephews; and her close friends, Ella Hutchins and Phyllis White.
Relatives and friends are invited to join the family for a time of visitation from 10-11 a.m., Saturday, April 18, with a funeral to follow at 11 a.m., at the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home in Damariscotta. If desired, donations may be made in Kathryn’s memory to The Animal Refuge League, P.O. Box 336, Westbrook, ME 04098-0336 or go to arlgp.org/memorial.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences and messages for her family may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.
