Joel Cartwright died June 27 at his family’s cottage in Tenants Harbor.
His life ended looking toward the sea, the ocean on which he sailed. He was trapped in the depths of depression, trying to stay afloat. Joel was 24.
For most of his life, family and friends knew Joel for his contagious grin and his passion for all sorts of activities from carpentry to contra dancing. At Bowdoin College, where he majored in anthropology and environmental studies, he founded the Bowdoin Organic Garden, supplying fresh vegetables to the campus and a local food pantry. His research report on clamming proved useful to the Waldoboro shellfish committee. He volunteered his time with disabled people and was a leader with the Outing Club. Bowdoin gave him its Community Service award at graduation.
Joel was born in Damariscotta on May 30, 1984. Growing up in Waldoboro, he was shy and read lots of books. He played chess and cruised the coast with his family, learning sailing from his grandmother. He climbed Mount Katahdin and hiked Gulf Hagas. As he reached manhood, he blossomed and discovered a love of planting, harvesting and putting food by.
He believed in the need to be sustainable, walking and bicycling, building community based on nurturing the environment. He wanted to work in the farms-to-schools movement.
Joel planted seeds in the ground and in the people around him, encouraging them to sprout and try new things. Hosting huge dinner parties, sailing excursions and musical gatherings, he spent many days and nights with friends. He brought people together, and those people felt welcomed. He believed in cooperation more than competition.
He studied languages, cross-country skied, ran foot races with his dad, and played piano, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, guitar and djembe, an African drum. He helped write and record a song called Swimming Upstream. Even on his worst days, he still strummed his guitar.
Art was an outlet for Joel to express his shadow, the pain and joy he felt as he struggled to make sense of our world. He carried a sketchbook with him while paddling the St. John River, building a playground in Peru, visiting South Africa, France and Italy, and sailing aboard a square-rigged ship.
He built a 12-string guitar and carved canoe paddles for his parents, a Buddha for his sister, a life-like cedar waxwing for his mom. He crafted a delicate sushi knife box for his girlfriend, Melissa.
Last winter, he designed and built a post-and beam frame for a solar hot water system at his parents’ home. He convinced his family to buy diesel cars and convert them to run on vegetable oil.
He drove home from college to attend Community Club potlucks, and jazz jams at the Waldo Theatre Annex. He organized benefit concerts for the Maine/Ghana Youth Network and a Medomak Valley High School classmate.
Two years ago, after a nine-mile hike and swim with his sister, Joel was riding his bicycle to work and collided with a truck. He continued to do landscaping and dance, not knowing his ankle was broken. While on crutches, he launched and paddled a canoe by himself.
He worked for the Pemaquid Oyster Company, Bigelow Lab for Ocean Sciences, Primo Restaurant’s garden and the Bowdoin library. He was an alewife warden for Waldoboro and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Waldoboro Day, Medomak Valley Land Trust and Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick. He helped his uncle and cousin build a house by the sea in Tenants Harbor, and helped build greenhouses at the Bowdoin Organic Garden and Warren Community School.
He carried a vision of creating sustainable community. His sister, Chelsea, of Berkeley, Cal., and his parents, Steve and Kathy Cartwright of Waldoboro, share that vision. Standing with them is a wide circle of family and friends.
Carry his spirit with you.
Celebration of Joel’s life 2 p.m., Sat., July 12 at the Waldo Theatre, Main St., Waldoboro. A musical potluck will follow at the Waldo Theatre Annex. If you want to support Joel s vision of connecting farms to schools and children with gardens, please donate to the Flannel Shirt Fund at any branch of Camden National Bank. Please make checks payable to The Flannel Shirt Fund. You may mail a donation to Camden National Bank, 1768 Atlantic Highway, Waldoboro, ME 04572.
