Stacey Ann McCarthy

PORTLAND – Stacey Ann McCarthy, 62, beloved wife of Shaun F. McCarthy, of Baxter Boulevard, passed away peacefully on April 26, 2023, with loved ones by her side, after a four-month battle with cancer.

Born in Lynn, Mass., on Oct. 17, 1960, Stacey was the daughter of Herbert and Barbara Holmes. She was a graduate of Salem High School (N.H.) and Babson College.

At the age of six, Stacey began her lifelong fight with kidney disease. She handled this fight with the utmost grace and courage over the next 56 years, having three kidney transplants, never allowing it to limit her in any endeavor.

Following in her father’s footsteps, although a different flight path, after college Stacey joined an industry that she loved, the airline industry. She started out with U.S. Airways, quickly moving through the ranks in ground operations, eventually becoming Station Manager in Portland, where she met Shaun in 1992. She transferred to Los Angeles in the same capacity, running LAX in 1994. A year later, she accepted an offer to join Northwest Airlines, which eventually merged into Delta Airlines.

Stacey ended her career as Station Manager in Newark, N.J. She took great pride in mentoring her employees and was always so happy to see them succeed in the workplace and in life. Nothing made her happier than to come home with the news that one of her employees had gotten a promotion. She truly cared about them all and brought out their best. There are already so many tributes to this on her memorial page.

Stacey was also quite the cook and party planner. She loved hosting holiday meals, birthdays, and out of town family reunions, usually for a group of 20 to 30 people. She brought her work organization skills to all her parties, right down to name plates on the dining room table and on each food dish. She also loved her and Shaun’s annual July 4th party, even though it generally lasted well into the 5th. In her brief retirement, she took up gardening and growing vegetables in the yard. And yes, her gardens always had a theme too.

In 1992, Stacey met Shaun, the third love of her life, at Dock Fore. They married in August of 1997. Their wedding day also came with the Stacey stamp, right down to friends and family tying dinner napkins with a perfect knot the night before. The wedding, still talked about by many to this day, continued the next day with a reception at their Baxter Boulevard house for all the guests from the night before.

Stacey loved that her job gave her the benefit of travel. Be it for a long weekend in New Orleans, a horse race anywhere, but especially to Georgia to visit with family.

Stacey's family would like to thank Dr. John Vella and the team at the Maine Transplant Program for everything they have done over the years to extend her life. Also, to the team at Maine Medical Center, CFT 6 for keeping her comfortable through her final days.

Stacey was predeceased by her father Herb; and the love of her life, her Westie Max. They are all together again, along with many good friends who passed along the way.

Stacey is survived by the second love of her life, her second Westie, Patrón; third love of her life, husband Shaun; her mother Barbara; sister Julia and brother-in-law Roland Zamorano and their children Robert, Garrett, Lillian and Zachary, all of Woodstock, Ga., brother David Holmes and sister-in-law Katia and their children Nicolas and Maya, all of Minnetonka, Minn., mother in law, Kathleen McCarthy of Portland ,sister-in-law Colleen and brother-in-law Jerry Reid and their children Claire, Catherine and Erin, all of Harpswell, and brother-in-law Brendan McCarthy and sister-in-law Jeanetta of Portland. She also leaves behind her “second mother”, Connie Duran of Louisville KY, as well as many cousins.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 15, 2023, at St. Joseph’s Church, 673 Stevens Ave., Portland.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your choice of charities that were near and dear to Stacey's heart: the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, PO Box 336, Westbrook, ME 04098, www.arlgp.,org/memorial or, the Maine Transplant Program, 43 Baxter Blvd., Portland, ME 04101