ORONO – Dana Charles Devoe, 79, died peacefully March 24, 2012, at his home. He was born Nov. 5, 1932, in Orono, son of Henry P. Devoe and Florence (Morris) Devoe.
He was a lifelong resident of Orono and graduated from Orono High School in 1951, the University of Maine in 1956, and the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1959. He then returned to live in Orono and to open a law office in Bangor where he happily worked as a lawyer until he retired in April 2001. While a student at Orono High School, he was a member of the two State Championship debate teams and was elected vice president of the 2nd National Hi-Y Council. Upon completing his first year of studies at the university he then entered a seminary in Baltimore for his second year of college, and the next school year he entered the novitiate of the Paulist Fathers. He then returned to UMaine in 1954 to resume his college studies and graduated with a major in history and government in June 1956. While at UMaine, he was an active member of the debate team and won the extemporaneous speaking contest of the New England Forensic Association in 1956. He then entered the University of Notre Dame Law School and graduated in 1959. During his final year in law school, he won the Moot Court Competition. He passed the Maine Bar in August 1959 and opened his law office in Bangor in October 1959, where he maintained his practice until he retired in April 2001. Early in his career, he developed a liking of real estate title work and drafting wills and trusts and administering estates and his practice continued to focus on those areas up to the time of his retirement. Beginning in September 1963 and continuing until May 1988, he taught a real estate law course at UMaine for people wishing to become licensed brokers and salespersons. During this time he served two terms as a director of the Notre Dame Law Association. Shortly after beginning his law practice, Dana became a member of Penobscot Valley Country Club where he had been employed during his high school and college years. He went on to become a member of the Board of Governors; clerk for 17 years and president for nearly two years. During this same period of time he served two terms as a board member of the University of Maine Alumni Association and as its treasurer for two years. He was vitally interested in town government and served several years as chair of its budget committee, before Orono adopted its charter, as chair of its zoning board of appeals for many years, and enjoyed two terms on the Orono Town Council from 1992 to 1998. After his retirement, he served as a trustee of Orono Public Library, where he assisted in the formation of Orono Public Library Foundation for which he served as its vice president and as co-chair of its fundraising committee. Dana worked actively for several years helping to raise funds for the construction of Orono Public Library, which was completed in September 2009. In addition, he served St. Mary’s Church as the first president of its parish council and greatly enjoyed serving on Maine Advisory Committee on Probate Rules. Dana was also a member of Father Druillette Council 2537, Knights of Columbus. In addition, he worked as a member of the planning committee for the 50th year college reunion of the class of 1956, and was named to the University’s Senior Alumni Board as its representative. At the time of his death, he was also president of the Senior Alumni Association and on the Dean’s Advisory Counsel of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UMaine. Dana was an active member of the Republican Party for many years and was elected to the Maine House of Representative for one term and to the Maine Senate for two terms, and was chosen as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention in New Orleans in 1988. His legislative service gave him great pleasure and satisfaction. He often said, “it’s like I had every citizen of the state of Maine as a client,” when he was reviewing bills before voting on them. His legislative service included one term as chair of the Public Utilities Committee and one as chair of the Judiciary Committee.
Dana is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Ann (Chaplicki) Devoe; children, Joseph P. Devoe and his wife, Suzie, and their two sons, Parker and Barron, Robert A. Devoe and his wife, Martha, and their two daughters, Sarah and Mary, Mary C. Sawyer and her three sons, Raymond, Joshua and Charles, Elizabeth A. Phillips and her husband, Chad, and their two children, Henry and Ava, Therese Marie Devoe and her partner, Kelly Allen, and Paul C. Devoe and his wife, Kimber, and their son, Lincoln; and sister, Jean E. Devoe and her friend, Elwood Ede.
Relatives and friends are welcome to call 4-7 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at the Orono Chapel of Brookings-Smith, 72 Main St., Orono. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Friday, March 30, at Resurrection of the Lord, Holy Family Parish, 429 Main St., Old Town. Friends may make contributions in Dana’s memory to Orono Public Library Foundation, P.O. Box 308, Orono, ME 04473; or Notre Dame Law Association, Class of 1959 Memorial Scholarship Fund, Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Condolences to the family may be expressed at
www.BrookingsSmith.com.