Charles Franklin Adams III

YARMOUTH – Charles Franklin Adams III, 79, died peacefully from complications of Parkinson’s Disease on the morning of Saturday, June 20, 2026 at home.

Charles “Hank” F. Adams was born on Aug. 2, 1946, in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the second child of Charles F. Adams Jr. and Jeanne Bloor Adams. The family lived in South Jefferson during Hank’s earliest years before settling in Damariscotta. Summers were spent at Ocean Point in Boothbay, where Hank was part of a large group of children who roamed the rocks, went fishing and learned to waterski and sail. The love of the water stayed with him for the rest of his life.

Hank attended Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, graduating in 1964. He matriculated at Bowdoin College, focusing his studies on the sciences. Hank found his time at Bowdoin deeply inspiring, and he became a lifelong supporter of the school, donating many books and artifacts to the college’s collections. After graduating Bowdoin in 1968, he attended Tufts Medical School, with the last two years of his schooling funded by the Navy. During Hank’s third year at Tufts, he spent six months on the peacetime hospital ship SS Hope, stationed in Kingston, Jamaica, which provided medical care, training and supplies. After graduating from Tufts in 1972 he began an internship working in the ER at Maine Medical Center.

During Hank’s surgical year, he met his future wife, Marjorie, who had brought in a young student in need of stitches. Hank’s diligent follow through led to a first date at a Portland Symphony Orchestra concert. After spending a year as a surgical resident at MMC, Hank enlisted in the Navy and served aboard the USS Inchon as its Chief Medical Officer. His naval service took him to Cuba, Italy, Spain and Egypt. Hank left the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander. He took a one-year position in the MMC ER and then completed an anesthesiology residency.

Hank and Marjorie were married on June 19, 1976. Following a brief honeymoon in Nova Scotia, they moved to Virginia for Hank’s double fellowships in pain medicine and cardiac anesthesiology at University of Virginia. After returning to Maine, Hank worked for many years as a cardiac anesthesiologist at MMC until retiring in 2014.

Hank and Marjorie’s first home on the Range Road, a 1700s farmhouse, was extensively restored by Hank. Even after a move across town in the 1990s, his neighbors continued to benefit from his love of tractors. Hank and Marjorie welcomed a daughter Morgan in 1981 and a son Zachary in 1986, and the family lived in Cumberland for many years as they raised their children. Hank was very proud of his children and they brought him great joy as he watched them grow.

Hank was beloved by his peers for his dedication to his patients, professionalism, dependability, and efficiency. Surgeons often said of him, “if Hank Adams was the anesthesiologist, then things would be done right.” Hank’s tireless pursuit of perfection, even if it were nothing more than positioning his clam rake into the mud flats of Casco Bay, shaped his life. A friend to many, he would visit with a peck of fresh clams, fresh produce from the garden, an appropriate book, or a finished piece of woodwork.

Hank’s memory will live on in the form of handcrafted furniture and fixtures gifted to the homes of families and friends. One was always welcome at his home. Hank was the embodiment of Sam Walter Foss’ verse: “Let me live in my home by the side of the road and be a friend to all.” Hank was a consummate collector–maps, coins, election memorabilia, medical implements of the Civil War, nautical ephemera, and historical books of all stripes.

His love for the ocean led him to frequently crew aboard J-Class racing sailboats owned and skippered by his friend Jim Stanley Jr. The boats claimed many victories and competitive results in prestigious ocean and buoy regattas over the years, including the Newport Bermuda Race, the Key West Regatta, the Yarmouth Cup, NYCC Annual Regatta, and the Gulf of Maine racing circuit. Closer to home, Hank handcrafted a rowing shell, which he sculled around Casco Bay. He and Marjorie traveled widely, spending time in Abaco, Bahamas for over 20 years, as well as visiting Portugal, France, Austria, Alaska, Canada, Scotland, and Ireland. Hank loved the great outdoors, whether in a boat, a tent, hiking or scaling cliffs. He never complained about the weather or the difficulty of the task ahead while always finding a path to laughter.

Hank is survived by Marjorie, his wife of 50 years; their daughter, Morgan, her spouse Tim and their three children Tadhg, Saoirse and Ruairi, all of Falmouth; son, Zachary of Brooklyn, N.Y.; as well as Hank’s sisters Barbara (Bibbs) Jeanne Fowler and her spouse Dr. Nicholas Fowler of Thornton, Colo., Phoebe Carmer McKay and her husband the Rev. M. Bruce McKay of Buffalo, N.Y., Holly Ann Jose and her spouse Anthony Jose of Pemaquid; and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and nephews.

Hank was predeceased by his parents, Charles Franklin Adams Jr. and Jeanne (Bloor) Adams.

The family would especially like to thank the dedicated hospice team at Northern Light Hospice, specifically Jennifer, Kristen, Emily, and Joe for their wonderful care and kindness over the last year and a half.

At Hank’s request, there will be no formal service. Family, friends and colleagues are welcome to attend his Celebration of Life which will be hosted at Cunningham Farm, 1007 Intervale Rd., New Gloucester on July 26, at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers,

donations may be made to:

Special Collections and Archives

Bowdoin College Library

3000 College Station

Brunswick ME 04011-8421