John Mcnulty

John William McNulty, 67, died March 10, 2022, almost a full year and a half after receiving a diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer. Having dedicated his life to the conservation and stewardship of Maine’s forests and timberlands, he will be remembered not only for his distinguished career as a professional forester, but also as a caring husband, father, friend, colleague, and most importantly, “Grandpa”.

Born on September 8, 1954, in Manchester, New Hampshire, John is the son of Andrew Joseph and Mary Agnes (Loch) McNulty. The second of seven children, John grew up in a full house with his three brothers and three sisters. After Manchester, his family relocated several times, including Ontario, Canada, before settling down in East Greenwich, RI. John graduated from East Greenwich High School in 1972, where he wrestled, played football and made some lifelong friends. In 1981 he married his first wife, Sue Bartley, with whom he had his two sons, Ian and Ryan. After the two divorced in 2009, John reconnected with Deirdre Rose and they married in 2021.

John always had a passion for the outdoors, and was drawn to the forestry profession early on. In 1978 he graduated from the University of Maine with a B.S. in Forestry and that summer began work with Seven Islands Land Company as a field forester. Over the next 41 years, John worked his way up through the company, culminating in being named President and CEO in 2008. He was a pioneer and leader in the Maine forest certification movement in the early 1990s and was a vocal advocate for responsible forest management throughout Maine’s debate over clearcutting. In 2019, the year of his retirement, John served as the National President of the Society of American Foresters (SAF), and in 2021, was recognized by the New England SAF with the Distinguished Service Award.

In addition to his work, John took great pride in his sons. He loved the opportunity to coach both of his sons’ hockey teams, whether it was youth hockey or varsity high school at Foxcroft Academy, and has cherished the opportunity to be “Grandpa” to his four grandchildren. John enjoyed entertaining, playing hockey, golfing, and was always game for a meet-up over a beer. John was an incredibly loyal friend who was fun to be around and was always willing to throw himself enthusiastically into any endeavor. In fact, upon stopping treatment and learning he didn’t have much time left, he said, “Let’s take a trip!”

John is survived by his wife Deirdre (Haneman) Rose; his son Ian McNulty, his wife Jen, and triplet grandchildren, Simon, Natalie, and Liam; John’s son Ryan McNulty, his wife Mary Faith, and granddaughter Penny; John’s former wife Sue (Bartley) McNulty; John’s mother; two sisters, Kathleen (Alan) Millikan and Paula (Robert) Lake; three brothers, Andrew (Donna) McNulty, Brian (Michelle) McNulty and Peter (Heather) McNulty as well as numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. John is also survived by his best buddy Sylvio. John is predeceased by his sister Mary (Allen) Sayles and his father. John will be missed by the numerous friends he has made and kept throughout his life.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on March 24, 2022 at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer, Maine. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on April 1, 2022, at 2:30 PM. John’s love of forestry can be honored by donating in his name to The Forest Society of Maine 115 Franklin Street, 3rd FL, Bangor, ME 04401. Or, donations can be made to Lustgarten Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer Research (Lustgarten,org). Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.