Proud of Cap

Our son Ray, Harry and I enjoyed the memorial ceremony Thursday morning in the handsome Supreme Judicial Courtroom, remembering the contributions of those Cumberland County attorneys who passed away in 2007. They were Caspar F. Cowan and Homer C. Michal. A reception followed the ceremony, which was actually a sitting session of the court.

We were pleased to see Cap’s daughter, Joanna Allen of Seattle, Wash., and son Seth, of New London, Wisc. Also present was his niece, Jessica Linnell Sullivan of Cape Elizabeth.

Jennifer Lechner, the association’s secretary/executive director, sent a copy of the speech for our friend Cap Cowan, given by Timothy Benoit, a fellow lawyer at the Perkins Thompson law firm. He told of many events in Cap’s life. I had recorded many of them in my May 2, 2007, Ramblings column, after the burial service May 5 in Evergreen Cemetery and a reception May 6 in the Woodlands Club in Falmouth. This is what Tim wrote:

“Cap graduated from Deering High School in 1932. He received an AB from Bowdoin College in 1936 and a JD from Harvard Law School in 1940.

Cap entered military service in 1941, joining the 87th Mountain Infantry which later became the 10th Mountain Division. He was an expert rifleman and a rock and ice climbing instructor. He was first posted at Fort Lewis, Washington and later at Camp Hala, Colorado. In 1942 and 1943, his unit was stationed in the Aleutian Islands, in anticipation of a Japanese invasion that never occurred.

One of the most significant events in Cap’s life occurred while he was in the mountains of north central Italy during the Allies’ push through that country. There, in February 1945, as a staff sergeant, he led a squad on a night assault on Mt. Belvedere, which the Germans used to defend all roads in the Po River valley. During that night, he saved his squad by deflecting a live grenade, and then shooting nine enemy machine gunners. For his valor, Cap received a battlefield commission to second lieutenant and was awarded the Bronze Star.

After the war, Cap joined his father’s law practice, which was then known as Cowan and Cowan. His father had been Maine’s Attorney General from 1941 and 1945.

In 1948, he joined the firm of Linnell, Perkins, Thompson, Hinckley & Thaxter, which today is known as Perkins Thompson. He was a partner of the firm until 1991 and was widely known as an expert in real estate law. Cap worked on many major real estate projects, a significant amount of them for Portland Gas Company, which today is known as Northern Utilities. Cap is the author of Maine Real Estate Law and Practice, which was published in 1990 by West Publishing Co. That book has become the standard text for Maine real estate practitioners.

He had a remarkable and vital intellect which he used to great effect, but he was always greatly interested in what you thought about the subject at hand.

Cap was exceptionally physically fit. He was regularly skiing, biking and hiking well into his eighties. In his later life, one of his favorite community organizations was the Wayside Soup Kitchen. At least once a month, he would prepare and serve meals to the city’s homeless population. For the longest time, his picture was the only photo on the opening page of Wayside’s website.

In summary, Cap was an excellent lawyer with lasting contributions to the legal community in Maine and Cumberland County. He was also devoted to his family and the community at large. For those of us at Perkins Thompson, he was a treasured colleague and member of our family, until his death. He led a rich and full life and made a lasting impression on those who had the good fortune to meet him. We were blessed with his time among us and he is greatly missed.”

An excellent summary of Cap’s life, very well prepared and presented, Mr. Benoit!

Proud Of Ted

The May 22 issue of the Boston Globe has a Page 1 picture of Ted Kennedy and his wife, both out walking their dogs, the day after his release from Massachusetts General Hospital. They were at their home in Hyannis Port, Mass. He intends to remain as active as possible while battling a malignant brain tumor. He had also sailed his schooner that day.

We surely wish him the best of luck and many I’ve talked with, both Republicans and Democrats, are very proud of him and were very sorry to read about his ailment.

Proud of Edna

Edna Blanchard Anthony, a Deering High ’36 and Westbrook Junior College ’38, classmate, will not be attending our Westbrook reunion in June, I learned in my recent talk with her. The past few years she has not gone to Florida in winter, but for many years she made the long trip there, driving herself. She drives a big Chevy Suburban. She lives in Bridgewater, Mass.

She now uses a walker, after having had six leg operations. She will be 90 yeas old in he fall, but is still doing creative writing, works in stained glass, has made stained glass windows, which are now in her big house where her son now lives. She also makes crystal lampshades.

I was also a Blanchard, but we don’t have close relationships. However, I am very proud of Edna, who is still keeping occupied in her many activities.

Think green

Today’s recipe is from “Home Cooking,” recipes compiled by Westbrook Lions Club. This one was submitted by Ann Violette.

LIME JELLO SALAD

1 small package lime Jello

1 cup boiling water

1 small package cream cheese

1 small can (20 ounce) crushed pineapple, with juice

1 cup Cool Whip

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix together Jello, boiling water and cream cheese. Blend well. Mix in Cool Whip, crushed pineapple with juice and walnuts. Refrigerate and stir occasionally until set to keep walnuts blended.