Maine sadly lost one of her champions of justice, “AJ”, Arthur John Greif on May 31, 2022. After valiantly fighting metastatic Stage IV Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma cancer, Art succumbed to this deadly disease. His hope lives on for others that a cure will soon be the norm.
Art was the quintessential plaintiff’s trial attorney. Though one of Maine’s best civil trial lawyers, he also won twelve out of thirteen felony defenses. His greatest reward was balancing the scales of justice for countless clients who suffered discrimination due to their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities.
For over a decade, Art’s legal acumen, combined with a group of talented community members, stopped the building of a half-acre substation and transmission lines in the backyard of low income homes. This massive substation was relocated, built and buried with compact transformers and transmission lines, and disguised as a 19th century carriage house. With Art’s legal skills, this group of concerned citizens thwarted a mega cruise ship pier for berthing some of the world’s largest cruise ships in tiny Bar Harbor. Art also worked to preserve the rights of citizens at annual town meeting and the citizens’ initiative process. For over a decade, Art plied his legal knowledge pro bona to help his community.
It was obvious to all that Art was gifted with “a beautiful mind”. Coupled with a love of learning and hard work, Art was awarded the Rensselaer Medal, and the Faculty honored him with certificates for the best male English, history and science student in his high school. He was a National Merit Scholarship finalist.
Art graduated on the Dean’s List in the Honors Program at William and Mary with a B.A. in Government. He worked two jobs to earn enough money to attend the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, earning a J.D. cum laude. He was the Associate Editor of the Law Review.
Outside the courtroom, Art had five great loves: his beloved wife Donna Mae Karlson, road cycling, running, travel, and following sports, mostly baseball. He had a penchant for writing sonnets for his wife and their six cats. He happily planted hundreds of perennials, shrubs and trees for Donna’s out of control garden at their little home next to Acadia National Park. He ran nine marathons, including two Boston’s.
Inside the courtship of Art and Donna, who met at cycling and triathlon events, the honeymoon never ended. Kindred spirits, Art and Donna cycled through many of the world’s highest mountains and passes on their road bikes. They cycled across the Andes of Argentina and Chile three times, through the wilds of Patagonia to the Straits of Magellan, across both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, several Pacific Island gems, the Japanese Alps, and the breadth of the French, Italian, Austrian and Swiss Alps, the Canadian Rockies, and a myriad of tours in the Maritimes, Quebec and New England.
Even in his 50’s and 60’s, Art was a formidable cyclist. He still powered up the highest and longest mountain climbs of the great races, the Tour de France, The Giro and Vuelta. With camera in hand, he would wait patiently and proudly for Donna to reach the top.
Concurrent with Art’s out of the blue cancer diagnosis, the Pandemic spread into our country. His immunosuppressed state kept him mostly isolated in a world of masked medical professionals and patients for two and a half years. This took its toll on Art, a real people person. However, our innovative group of friends in Bar Harbor gave Art the best present for what turned out to be his last birthday. They drove by our house, honking and hollering, a crazy parade of caring and support. Tears rolled down Art’s face, a man who seldom cried.
Art was born on July 16, 1951. His beloved parents, Alice and Charles Greif, and in laws Wendy and Gustaf Karlson, six brothers-in-law, Andrew, Peter, Michael, Jeffrey, Rudi and Bruce, his sister-in-law, Jane, and his great great nephew, Miller, predeceased him. He had the honor of being “Uncle Art” to Jill, Joy, Jaye, Jodi, Christopher, Francesca, Erik, Ali, Jessie, Kevin, Susan, Conan Lee, Maribeth, Michael, Missy, Jenny, Lisa, Chuck, Ian, Christopher and their wonderful families. Art is survived by his siblings, Peggy, Mary, Chuck and Betsey, Jane and Rick and sisters-in-law, Barbara, Danielle and Trisha.
Art and Donna are forever grateful to the outstanding medical professionals of Cape Cod Hospital, Cahoon Care, Dana Farber, Brigham and Women's, Mass General and particularly the MDI Hospital in Bar Harbor, Maine.
The MDI Hospital gave great care to Art when he not only was brimming with health, but gave him even greater care when he was suffering with a deadly disease.
Our families and friends, safely distanced and masked, were always there for us in these times of our greatest challenges. Their love and support carried Art and Donna through his final days in the ICU.
We’d appreciate donations to the MDI Hospital, the Maine Community Foundation, and the YWCA MDI, all in Maine.
Condolences may be sent to Donna Karlson and Family, ℅ Nickerson Funeral Home, 77 Eldredge Park Way, Orleans MA or online at their web site.
A Funeral Service will be held at the Federated Church of Orleans, 162 Main Street, Orleans, MA on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 11:00 AM followed by a committal service at Orleans Cemetery off of the Tonset Road entrance.
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