James E. Haddow

James Edward Haddow (1934-2020) grew up in Wollaston, Massachusetts during the Great Depression and World War II, the only child of an immigrant father and a mother who traced her family back to the American Revolution. At a very young age, he formed a close friendship with a neighbor, Charles Fitzgerald. The two boys were inseparable and spent their free time fishing and exploring the outdoors. Both his friendship with Charles and his love of the outdoors lasted his entire life.

In June of 1958, while James was completing medical school on his way to becoming a pediatrician, he married Polly Kozodoy, a Mt. Holyoke graduate who was working on her Master’s Degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. They had three children – Jim, Jon, and Anne – between 1959 and 1963. The family moved to Maine in 1974 when James joined a research laboratory at Maine Medical Center. Medical research turned out to be the perfect outlet for his talents – a combination of creativity and a keenly intelligent and analytical mind. He had a long career that was rich in accomplishments that brought about worldwide improvements in health, particularly for pregnant women and their children.

His deep commitment to his work did not stand in the way of James’s enjoyment of life. He loved good food and good wine, art, and classical music, and he and Polly hosted countless memorable dinners for family, professional colleagues, and friends. He was a witty and entertaining storyteller who told great tales of fishing and camping adventures with Charles Fitzgerald and others.

-Honored by Anne Cressey