Amory M. Houghton III of Yarmouth died on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at the age of 92. Mr. Houghton was born in Bangor, the son of Amory M. Houghton Jr. and Margaret Goodhue (Houghton) Wilson. He attended South Portland schools, Hebron Academy and graduated from Cornell University after his military service.
Mr. Houghton did two tours aboard the battleship U.S.S. Missouri as an Enlisted sailor in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict. The ship participated in all campaigns during the first six months of the Korean war.
Prior to attending college, Mr. Houghton married Marla Beith who predeceased him. In May 1989, he married Joan Paradis Fortin.
Mr. Houghton was employed out of state for a few years after college. He returned to Maine in 1961 to work as business/facilities manager for the Portland newspapers. He remained in this capacity for 30 years until he retired in 1991. He also worked part-time for many years at the Maine Tourism Association’s Visitors Information Center in Yarmouth.
Mr. Houghton was involved in many volunteer activities during his working years. He was on the Zoning Board of Appeals in the Town of Cape Elizabeth until moving to Yarmouth. He was twice President of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland Maine, and was a volunteer at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. For a long time Houghton was involved with mental health concerns. He served on the Governor’s Mental Health Advisory Committee for several years and was associated with several local mental health agencies.
His last project was compiling a detailed history of the Houghton family shipbuilding firm whose yard was located on land now occupied by the Bath Iron Works. In the yard at Bath, started by Levi Houghton, their first ship was launched in 1819. The family built and operated a fleet of 44 merchant vessels that traveled the world. Their last ship was launched in late 1890. An initial portion of the shipyard property was sold to B.I.W. at the start of World War I with the last half sold at the start of World War II. A large collection of Houghton artifacts and ship paintings from the era of sail resides at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath.
Mr. Houghton is survived by his wife, Joan, his two sons, Amory M. “Skip” Houghton IV and his partner Marguerite “Peggy” Anderson of Cape Elizabeth and Timothy B. Houghton of Augusta, four step children and their spouses; Michael and Judy Fortin of Herndon, Virginia, Mark and Rhonda Fortin of Lamoine, ME, Michelle and Thomas Donnelly of Gorham, ME, and Amy and Harrison Flynn of Danvers, MA. He leaves behind his brother Peter B. Wilson and his wife Gail of Naples, FL and Raymond, ME, sister-in-law Janet Houghton of Cape Elizabeth and former brother-in-law, Robert B. Beith of Gorham. He also leaves behind several grandchildren: Marla Anne (Timothy) Entwistle, Amory McLellan Houghton V, Abigail Lee Houghton and great grandson Warren. Also, Joan’s grandchildren, David, Nicholas and Lilah Fortin and Connor and Maeve Donnelly. There are also many nieces and a nephew. He is predeceased by his brother John Reed Houghton, the middle brother, who died in December 2019.
Visiting hours will be on Saturday, July 2 from 12-3pm followed by Words of Remembrance at Lindquist Funeral Home in Yarmouth. A private family interment service will take place at the Maine Veterans Cemetery, in Augusta on July 5.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations may be made to either the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, 277 Cumberland Avenue, Portland, Me 04101 or the Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington Street, Bath, ME 04530.
