Francis Kittredge

Francis Ignatius Kittredge, Jr. died peacefully on June 6, 2024, at the age of 89.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Adele Murphy Kittredge. He was a devoted father to his daughters Adele Murray (Michael) of Bronxville, NY and Charlene Kittredge (José Isasi, II) of Wilmette, IL. He was dearly loved by his grandchildren Timothy, Elizabeth, and Charlotte Murray and Sebastían, Alícia, and Danielle Isasi. He was preceded in death by his parents Mary and Francis Kittredge and his siblings Mary Boyle, Margaret Dolan, and Patrick Kittredge. He is survived by his brothers Thomas (Tim) and John Kittredge and his sister Kathleen Dower.

Francis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 8, 1934, the third of seven children. A devout Catholic, he graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1956. He went on to graduate from Temple University School of Medicine in 1959 and School of Law in 1971. After medical school, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps as a physician at Fort Benning and Fort Dix, achieving the rank of Captain. In 1972, after completing a neurology residency and fellowship, he moved to Bangor, Maine where he became the first neurologist at Eastern Maine Medical Center. Always dedicated to providing accessible medical care to patients, he regularly flew to clinics in the farthest reaches of the state of Maine to see patients.

Although he was a physician, a lawyer, and an entrepreneur, his greatest passion was practicing neurology and caring for his patients. He became President of the Maine Medical Association, the American College of Legal Medicine, and the American Academy of Neurology. He was committed to improving the quality of life of people affected by brain and nervous system diseases and disorders and was the founding Board Chair of the American Brain Coalition and one of the founders of the American Brain Foundation. He delighted in attending neurology and medical association meetings where he campaigned hard for his vision of quality medical care. Even senators and representatives on Capitol Hill could not escape his relentless lobbying efforts.

Although he was a formidable “fighter” for his deeply held beliefs, at heart Francis was a proper, quiet, serious man and an avid learner, who spent hours in his chair by the window, donned in his favorite Notre Dame hoodie, reading books and medical journals while listening to his favorite operas and classical music. He loved music his entire life and as a young man was a tenor with The Savoy Company of Philadelphia. After moving to Bangor, he regularly shared his beautiful voice as a congregant at Sunday mass at St. John’s Catholic Church.

As a grandfather, he looked forward to summertime in Maine when his grandchildren would gather in the house he built in Rockport, which he affectionately called his “grandfather trap.” His family will remember him for his kindness, integrity, generosity, compassion, and love and for the example he set for how to treat others. His daughters and six beloved grandchildren will never forget his steadfast belief in their ability to accomplish anything they set their minds to, his sage guidance, and his unfaltering devotion to them all. His adoring wife Adele is grateful for every day she spent with “her Fran” by her side.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, August 2, 2024, at 10 a.m., at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. John’s Catholic Church, 217 York Street, Bangor, ME, with a reception following at Brookings-Smith Family Reception Center, 163 Center Street, Bangor, ME. The Rite of Committal will take place at 4 p.m. at Seaview Cemetery, 171 Chestnut Street, Rockport, ME.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Fran’s memory to the Francis and Adele Kittredge Research Fund, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 (www.dana-farber.org/gift) or the American Brain Foundation, 201 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415 (www.americanbrainfoundation.org).
To view the Mass remotely, please visit https://www.stpaulbangor.me.