Harriet Dowd

HARRIET C. DOWD

BANGOR and MILLINOCKET - Harriet Louise (Chisholm) Dowd died peacefully knowing the love of her family on March 31, 2025, at Winterberry Heights Senior Living in Bangor. She was born in Bangor on Aug. 30, 1937, the daughter of Joseph Harry Chisholm and Annie Marguerite (Glenn) Chisholm. She spent her early childhood in Millinocket until moving to Bangor with her parents at age 13. She was a graduate of John Bapst High School Class of 1954 and Eastern Maine General Hospital School of Nursing in 1957. She married her high school sweetheart Jim Dowd in 1958. Harriet was employed as a Registered Nurse at Great Northern Paper Co. and subsequent paper companies in Millinocket for 23 years until her retirement in 1997. She also assisted her husband Jim in operating James G. Dowd Funeral Homes in Millinocket and East Millinocket. She earned a certificate from the New England Institute of Anatomy, Sanitary Science and Embalming for women in funeral service in 1984. She was a member of Little Flower Circle #392 Daughters of Isabella and the Millinocket Nursing Commission. She also served on the Mount Pleasant Cemetery Board of Directors in Bangor. She attended St. Paul the Apostle Parish churches in Bangor and Brewer. She worked after retirement as a funeral attendant at Brookings-Smith Funeral Homes until 2012. Harriet was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved hosting dinners for family and friends and vacationing at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine. Surviving are her children Michael Dowd and his wife Julie (Harris) Dowd of Litchfield; Patty Kelley and her husband Dick Kelley of Brewer; Karen Schwartz and her husband Bob Schwartz of Savannah, Tennessee; brother-in-law Dr. Shaun N. Dowd and his life partner Marcia Biggane of Bangor; grandchildren Todd Hobert of Elkridge, Maryland; Jason Hobert and his wife Stacey Hobert of Glenburn; Brian Kelley and his wife Lauren Kelley of Orrington; Kristen Young and her husband Erik Young of Hampden; Adam Schwartz and his wife Jackee Schwartz of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Christopher Schwartz of Savannah, Tennessee. Harriet loved her great-grandchildren Morgan, Madison, McKenzie and Samantha Hobert; Jacob Kelley and Margo Young. She also adored several nieces and nephews. Harriet was predeceased by her beloved husband Jim and daughter-in-law Ann Cilley Dowd. Her family thanks the staff at Winterberry Heights Memory Care and Bristol Hospice for their care in her final months. Friends may call at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor, 3-6 p.m. Thursday, April 3. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Friday, April 4, at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. John's Catholic Church, 217 York St. in Bangor, with the Rite of Committal to follow at Mount Pleasant Catholic Cemetery. Friends are invited to gather at the Family Reception Center of Brookings-Smith, 163 Center St., immediately after the services. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to a food pantry or homeless shelter of your choice.

To join the service via live stream visit www.stpaulbangor.me.

Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.