THOMAS ADAM POWELL

PORTLAND – Born July 8, 1917, in New York City, Thomas Adam Powell, 87, retired chief administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration in Maine, died Jan. 1, 2005, in Portland. Judge Powell was predeceased by his wife of 46 years, Cathleen Hennessy; his sister, Florence; brothers, Raymond, Robert and John; and a son-in-law, Roger Fernald. The patriarch of a large family, Judge Powell is survived by his eight children, Cathleen Houchins of Effort, Pa., Monica Blum of Queens, N.Y., Thomas of Emmitsburg, Md., Joseph of Queens, N.Y., Alice Fernald of Windham, James of Chester, N.H., Nancy Plourde of Windham, and Geraldine Powell of Portland; two daughters-in-law, Irene and Evelyn; and three son-in-laws, Frank Houchins, Henry Blum and Franz Plourde. He is also survived by Jeremy and Lydia Powell, his devoted and loving grandchildren with whom he resided and 12 other grandchildren; a sister, Mary Rieger of Kings Park, N.Y.; and brothers, Walter of Rockford, Ill. and Terence of Randelman, N.C. He is also survived by scores of nieces and nephews. Judge Powell was a devout Catholic and served in numerous positions of lay leadership in Holy Family Parish and the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y. His Catholic faith was the central guide throughout his life. Since moving to Maine in 1976, he was a member of St. Joseph’s Parish community in Portland. The oldest of eight children, Judge Powell provided a great deal of support to his mother and siblings after the sudden death of his father, NYC Fire Battalion Chief, Thomas F.J. Powell, in 1937. During World War II Judge Powell enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the 65th Infantry Division throughout Europe during the war and in Austria during postwar rebuilding. Upon return from service he graduated from Brooklyn Law School and established a successful law practice in Mineola, N.Y. In 1974, he was appointed administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration and later was appointed chief judge for both the Brooklyn, N.Y. and Maine offices. Throughout his law career he was active in the Catholic Lawyers Guild and developed expertise in environmental law, medical malpractice and social security law. He was also active in the Democratic Party in New York. Judge Powell was an avid fisherman and painted numerous watercolors depicting Maine seascapes. He loved reading, traveling with his family, especially in Maine and Canada, and vacationing in Mattituck, Long Island. Visiting hours will be held from 3-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, at Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, 673 Stevens Ave., Portland. Burial will follow with Military Honors at New Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Catholic Relief Services to assist families touched by the tsunami disaster either on-line at www.catholicrelief.org or by mail to: Catholic Relief Services, 209 West Fayette St., Baltimore, MD 21201-3443.