Joseph P. Conroy
August 16, 1933 ~ September 7, 2022
Resided in:
South Portland, Maine
South Portland- Joseph P. Conroy, 89, of Loveitts Field Road died peacefully on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House with his loving family by his side.
Joe was born in Portland, Maine on August 16, 1933 the son of the late Mark J. and Susan (McGonagle) Conroy. He attended local schools, graduating from Cheverus High School in the class of 1951, St. Francis Xavier College with a BA in 1955. He then enlisted and served in the United States Army. He later earned his Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Maine at Orono in 1968.
On July 7, 1962, Joe married the love of his life Elizabeth M. Howard. Together they made their home and raised a family in South Portland.
Joe started his teaching career at Freeport High School in 1959. In 1962 he started teaching at Cape Elizabeth High School for more than three decades, retiring in 1994. Unable to remain idle, Joe returned to teaching on a regular basis from 1996 to 2015, he then continued to substitute teach up until Covid closed the schools.
In his spare time, Joe loved to write poetry, enjoyed building things and doing woodworking, he loved physical fitness, reading, researching Irish genealogy, meeting new friends, working on his rental properties and spending time with family and friends. He held an active license in Real Estate since 1959.
He was a lifelong communicant of Holy Cross Church where he served as a lector and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a longtime member of the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club and is a past president. He also spent many hours volunteering at the Preble Street Food Kitchen.
Joe was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth M.”Ibby” Conroy in 2020; a son, Paul H. Conroy; a sister, Marie Sutton; three brothers, Francis, Edward and Thomas Conroy. He is survived by two sons; Joseph P. Conroy of South Portland, John H. Conroy and his wife, Mary of North Yarmouth; a daughter, Ann Lane and her husband, Michael of South Portland; five grandchildren, Joseph P. Conroy III, Emily E. Conroy, Kristina Lane, Olivia Conroy, Patrick Conroy; several nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours celebrating Joe’s life will be held on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at the Conroy-Tully Walker South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. Prayers will be recited at the Funeral Home at 9:15am on Thursday, September 15, 2022 followed by a 10:00am Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Cross Church, 124 Cottage Road, South Portland, ME. To view Joe’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com
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I worked with Joe at CEHS and he helped me buy my first (and only) home. He treated me like a daughter by looking out for me and making sure I didn’t get into a housing situation that would be challenging for me. I ended up finding the perfect home in his neighborhood. I saw him on many walks and we always shared a hug and a promise to get ice cream. I will miss seeing him strolling around the streets of Willard Beach.
My condolences to Mr Conroy’s family. My favorite high school teacher – I’m sure I’m not alone in that regard. He was demanding but always fair. There was always a feeling of mutual caring and respect between him and his students. Had the pleasure of running into him at the supermarket in the recent past and we would reminisce and share a laugh or two. A life well-lived Mr Conroy and thank you!
Mr Conroy was the best teacher I ever had. He was an excellent mentor and educator. In 1964 I was in his English class and found him to be firm, fair and wanted his students to succeed. He was a wonderful ‘life coach’ and taught me to never give up. Mr Conroy was one of the most important people in my life. Thank you Mr Conroy
Mr Conroy was the best teacher I ever had. He was a great educator, mentor and personally a ‘Life Coach’ responsible for helping with many of his students. He left a wonderful legacy and will be missed.
Was my favorite teacher
Fair, honorable, trustworthy and a fine gentleman.
Military veteran, educator, family man. Worked his entire life to improve and better people. A fine human being.
1000’s of students who were fortunate enough to have had him as a teacher.
His demeanor
Fairness, honesty
He always remembered people. I returned to CEHS to thank him while on leave from the Navy.
A good human being
Educated them on subjects and life.
English and life skills
Personality
THANK YOU
Write poems
Everything
He would meet you later in life and say “I know you’.
Tough, no nonsense
Mr or Ms ____, share with the class_____.
That was when he knew the individual may not be completely prepared……
Family, students
Honorable, fair, great personality
I loved Joe! He had a profound impact on me both as a teacher and friend. Joe and I team-taught for 7 years at CEHS in a freshman English class. He would have each student stand up, tall and proud, reciting Shakespeare and a memorized poem. He routinely asked students, “Who is the most important person in the room?” – reminding them to look in the mirror for the answer. I am so grateful to have had Joe in my life, and I will never forget him. Thank you, Mr. Conroy, for your service, wisdom, and being a light in our lives.
My sincere condolences at this time of grief. May you be comforted by his legacy and the number of people he touched in life. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
I send my condolences to the family of Joe and join with them in celebrating Joe’s life.
My memories of Joe and of our long-standing friendship are of special endearment to me.
We were classmates in the Cheverus High School graduating class of 1951.
We were campus roommates in the St. Francis Xavier University graduating class of 1955.
We remained connected in the years of our respective teaching careers
and during the time of our retirements.
Joe was a man of many interests and involvements: military service, church and community organizations, schooling, real estate, charitable works.
He was a sincere conversationalist.
He listened wholeheartedly and spoke thoughtfully. He was concerned. He brought his essential self into his affiliations with people,
Throughout our shared times of aspirations, attainments, and reflections, Joe continuously enriched our friendship. He gave our friendship its durability.
Rest in peace, my good friend.
For those who had the privilege of knowing him we were blessed. He will be missed by all, make the best of your life because he would expect that from you. Thank you for your wisdom and excellence in all of your teachings. Rest well and know that all your teachings were well worth all the hard work you put in.
Judy Liberty
I remember Joe as being optimistic, smiling, and full of little gems of wisdom. As a fellow teacher for 20 years at CEHS, it was my pleasure to look forward to seeing him most every day. A life well lived, indeed.
hi To the To Joseph conroy and family, I ws so sorry to hear the Joe Conroy passed away i heard at church yesterday. I am so sorry for your family. I liked talking to joe at church and around. Take care. Kristen Tully
We knew how lucky we were when Mr. Conroy started teaching at Cape our sophomore year (class of 1964). Our whole experience with English had reached a whole new level. He insisted on having us read classic literature that hadn’t been presented to us before. And he made us work, and he made it enjoyable. When our class for the year was over, we realized we had advanced our knowledge in a way we would never forget.
Our class made sure to invite Mr. Conroy to our reunions, and he honored us with his presence. It was always great to see him and thank him for caring so much about us.
Mark Peterson, class of ’64
I’m very sorry for your loss
Mr Conroy had a heart of gold and love his students as well as his teaching. I’m the class of 1994 and had the privilege of having Mr Conroy for 2yrs at Cape.
Mr Conroy was one of the best teachers I every had at Cape. I credit him for my love of Joseph Conrad’s books. To this day, I think of Mr Conroy when I read a Conrad book.
Nancy
Cape Elizabeth Class of 1981
TOn The Colonel’s Passing
Joseph Conroy was a different style of teacher. He’d study your face the first moment of class freshman year, ask your name and recite a memory of teaching your older siblings.
You knew that moment: He would always remember you.
I’m sure in later years at Cape he ran across the children of former students. I know of a few cases from the Class of 86 alone.
Conversing with my editor, I’d compare Joe to Robin Williams in his classic role “Dead Poets Society”
Yes, he taught you the structure, rhyme and rhythm of language. You were required to dig deeper. You had to “feel” what the author meant.
That didn’t mean you got a pass just for getting it. Joe understood that writing is a craft. All craftsmen must have sharp tools, know how to use them, and understand the stability behind the structure.
His style was bombastic, all out there trying to get you to THINK. If you found something in a story that had never occurred to him (doubtful, but he played along) he’d ask you questions to the point of exhaustion…just to see how you got there.
I was among those blessed to have had him as a teacher. He once made us memorize a poem, Robert Frost’s “Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening”
We had to memorize and recite it for the class. It still sticks in my mind almost forty years later.
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.’
Rest easy, Colonel. You kept all your promises, and observed the beauty of unleashing minds.
So sad to hear the news about Joe.
As a colleague and friend who worked with Joe at Cape Elizabeth High School, I witnessed a great role model, mentor, educator, and person who dedicated so much of his life to helping others. Soft-spoken, and always full of words of wisdom…
Generous and dedicated! What an outstanding person. You will be missed!
Thank you. Thank you.
Scott Shea
Joe was one of my high school teachers from 1962-64. He was kind, funny, respectful of his students-and deservedly much loved. He was the kind of teacher who made you glad to enter his classroom. We need more like him.
I will always remember Joe as the kind and caring man that he was.
My thoughts and prayers are with your entire family.
Joe is with his beloved wife now
Joe was a wonderful and caring person. I liked the way he smiled and laughed when family was around.
To live in the hearts of those we leave behind is not die .. Rest In Peace …
When Maryjane Howard, Ibby’s sister married my dad, we were lucky to have Uncle Joe in our lives. Funnily enough I even had Uncle Joe for English at Cape High. He was always fair and made me want to read. He will be sorely missed … my heart goes out to his children and grand children.