Jan. 2, 1940 – Feb. 24, 2025
“There goes Fred, trying something new,” Fred said when asked to write his obituary in 2020.
Frederick Briggs Jordan was born on January 2, 1940: the first baby born in Westbrook, Maine, that year. He was the beloved only child of Clifford and Marjorie Jordan and was raised primarily by his mother and his aunt Mary, alongside his cousin Charlie. From a young age, Fred had a deep love for animals, raising skunks and raccoons as a child.
After graduating from Mt. Hermon boarding school, Fred attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, followed by Tufts Medical School. He completed his residency in pathology in Richmond, Virginia, before embarking on a distinguished career.
He was granted a full professorship of pathology at the University of Oklahoma and took on his first medical examiner position at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Oklahoma, where he spent 32 years — 21 of them as chief. He rose to national prominence during the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Throughout his career, he also shared his knowledge by teaching pathology at St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies.
Fred loved Maine and returned in 2004 to the home he built for his mother and grandparents, Harold and Maude Briggs, in West Poland. Fred said, “Service is what it is all about.” He worked as deputy chief for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta.
In 2015, he graduated from the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine. He was the chaplain for Stephens Memorial Hospital and Mid Coast Hospital’s Senior Health Center. He volunteered at Androscoggin Home Health and Hospice, and in 2016, he was honored as the statewide Home Care Volunteer of the Year at the Blaine House. He was many things, including one of the “founding fathers” of the Poland Fire Rescue Department, a 50-year Mason at Tyrian Lodge #73 in Mechanics Falls, and a member of the First Universalist Church in West Paris.
His dogs were a source of great joy in his life, and they were always by his side. He spent summers at his small camp in Harpswell, enjoying visits with his cousin Charlie’s daughter, Marie. Bird-watching (he so looked forward to this spring’s birds), Native American history, and art were three of his many passions.
In his final year, Fred moved to Quarry Hill in Camden, where he quickly became friends with everyone he met, including Carol Freebairn. Together, they walked daily on the trails, visited the dog park, and watched the ducks by the pond. They formed a close-knit group with friends John and Alison, sharing monthly supper clubs filled with fine food, wine and laughter. Fred was often found in his easy chair by the window, with his books and plants, his door slightly ajar with a note inviting visitors to “Come on in.”
Fred passed away from pneumonia on Feb. 24, 2025, after a brief hospitalization at Pen Bay Hospital. His final wishes were honored by his best friend, Dr. John Pagonis, and he peacefully slipped away surrounded by friends who held his hands.
Fred leaves behind a lifetime of cherished friendships from every place he lived, worked and traveled, including the medical examiner, Poland, and Oklahoma City communities; his cousins Marie and Wallace Ridley; dear friends Carol Freebairn, Rich and Amy Frankel, and Alison Pagonis; and his best friend of 30 years, Dr. John Pagonis.
Heartfelt gratitude is extended to the Quarry Hill community for embracing and loving Fred, and to the Pen Bay Hospital Special Care Unit for their compassionate care. Special thanks to Linda Russell, his longtime friend and conservator, who tirelessly advocated for his well-being.
Fred’s memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
There will be a gathering to celebrate Fred’s very full life at the Water Museum at Poland Spring Resort, 115 Preservation Way, Poland, on May 17 from 4:30-6 p.m.
