Richard J. Quinlan Obituary (1936 - 2024)

Winslow - Richard Quinlan, 87, passed away on October 25, 2024. He was born on November 16, 1936, in Winchester, Massachusetts, the son of Edward and Ethel Quinlan. He is pre-deceased by his wife, Elaine Quinlan, whom he married in Fairfield in June 1964. He is survived by his four children: Joseph Quinlan of Hong Kong, Dr Kathleen M. Quinlan of Canterbury, England, Karen Jamison of Waterville, Maine, and Carol Wohlers of Rochester, New Hampshire, as well as his twelve grandchildren: Emily Ackley; Dakota, Makita, Jessie, Tatonka, Jerico, Jasper, Journey and Justice Champagne; Josie Eaton; and Casey and Trevor Wohlers. He is also survived by nine great-grandchildren and his brother, Edward Quinlan of Island Falls, Maine. Richard graduated from Island Falls High School and Fresno State College, Fresno, California. He taught at Oxford High School, Oakfield High School, Yarmouth High School, Warsaw Junior High School, Unity College, Unity Junior High School and, for many years, at Mount View Junior High School in Thorndike. Mr. Quinlan enjoyed coaching sports during his 31 years of teaching, including junior and senior high school boys’ basketball, high school girls' basketball, high school cross country and junior and senior high school track and field. He particularly enjoyed coaching girls track and field. Richard and Elaine raised their children in Unity, Maine where they lived for nearly 40 years. For several summers in the early 1980s, he and Elaine organized and ran the very popular Twilight Track Club for 5- to 18-year-olds. While teaching, he also worked summers at Willow Beach Camps in China and Saturdays at the Unity Pharmacy. Outside of work, he enjoyed hunting and fishing. In the transition to retirement, Richard and his wife spent several winters in South Carolina. From 2001-2017, they enjoyed an active retirement in Zephyrhills, Florida where Richard organized a golf league and volunteered in the Betmar community, at Gulfside Hospice, and at Woodlands Elementary School. They moved back to Central Maine in early 2018 to enjoy time with family. To his last day, he enjoyed his hobbies, including playing bridge and poker, watching the Patriots, Celtics and Red Sox on TV, and betting on harness racing. An informal gathering with finger food will be held on Sunday, November 10th from 2-4 pm at the Unity Community Center, 32 School Street, Unity, Maine. The family looks forward to hearing remembrances from his friends, former colleagues and former students. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to a local charity such as youth sports.