Obituary: Dr. Louis N. Taxiarchis MD

BUXTON – Louis N. Taxiarchis passed away at home with his family at his bedside on April 24, 2021 following a brief illness. He was born in Lewiston on August 25, 1928 to Nicholas and Georgia Taxiarchis.

The Great Depression caused the family to move several times and Louis grew up in both Connecticut and Massachusetts in addition to Maine. Following the death of his father, the family settled in Lynn, Mass. on his uncle’s poultry farm.

After graduating from high school Louis returned to Maine to attend Bates College where he earned a degree in chemistry. While there he developed an interest in outdoor pursuits and started on what would be a lifelong passion for hunting and fishing. During his junior year he and his classmates took part in fighting the 1947 fire near Brownfield.

Upon graduation in 1949, Louis entered the Army and was trained as an infantryman. The Army soon became aware of his chemistry background and put him to work in the base hospital laboratory where he worked until his honorable discharge in 1951.

That fall he began study at Rutgers University where he obtained a master’s degree in Marine Biology while working summers for the Maine Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries. On graduating he began full time employment with the department. He worked primarily in the Jonesport area, but took part in projects from Kittery to Lubec. Louis attended Tufts University Medical School in Boston from 1955-’59 and then returned to Maine for his residency in Pathology at Maine Medical Center.

While in residency at MMC Louis met and married Catherine Cooper who would be his wife for 57 years until her passing in 2017. Following residency Louis took a position in Pathology at Mercy Hospital in Portland also covering Goodall Hospital in Sanford. He eventually transferred to Goodall full time to work in the new Pathology department, but after two years he returned to Maine Medical Center where he worked for the remainder of his career. He retired from MMC in 1994.

Most of Louis’ life was spent as an avid sportsman. He hunted throughout the northeast and western states as well as abroad. He loved training gun dogs and was a member of several clubs in the area. He enjoyed fly fishing for trout and salmon in Maine and Canada making biannual trips to the Maramichi River in New Brunswick, and several other expeditions to Northern Quebec and Labrador. In addition to these pursuits, he was an avid woodworker, forager, gunsmith, a bit of an artist, and he read books. Volumes and volumes of books. Most of which he could quote from memory. He found joy in all these things, and was always willing to share his knowledge with anyone who showed an interest.

Louis is predeceased by his wife, Catherine; sister, Mary and brother, John.

He is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth and son-in-law William, son, Nick and daughter-in-law Brenda, and son, John and daughter-in-law Elena. He also leaves three granddaughters Christina, Catherine, and Vanessa.

There will be a graveside service for both Louis and his wife Catherine at the Woodlawn Cemetery on Groveville Road in Buxton on June 5 at 11 a.m.

Online condolence messages can be submitted at the Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service website https://www.mainefuneral.com/.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation at https://www.parkinson.org/

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