Hugh McCleery Phelps

Hugh McCleery Phelps, 82, of Topsham, died peacefully at home on July 16th with his wife and daughters at his side. Hugh was an exceptional husband, father, physician and philanthropist. 

Born on Halloween in 1941 to Dr. McKinnie and Carolyn Phelps at the Doctors Hospital in Manhattan, Hugh was joined eighteen months later by his twin brothers. From that moment on, he was the straight man to his brothers’ constant comedic hijinks. When Hugh was four, his family relocated to Denver where his father became one of the first anesthesiologists in Colorado. While at East High School, Hugh sang in the chorus of “The Girl of the Golden West” at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. That was the start of his love affair with music. After graduating from East HS in 1959, Hugh attended Monmouth College in Illinois, where he had the good fortune to spend his junior year abroad in Lebanon at the American University of Beirut. En route by boat to Beirut, Hugh met his future wife, Norma Brooks. During their year abroad, they traveled all over the Middle East and Europe and began a lifetime of adventure together. They married in June, 1964.

After medical school at the University of Colorado, Hugh completed an internship at Cincinnati General Hospital. In 1968, Hugh was drafted as a medical officer and spent a year in Vietnam with the 82nd Airborne. Although he spoke very infrequently about his experience in Vietnam, later in life he shared amazing and insightful stories that were recorded for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. In classic Hugh style, after sharing fascinating memories, he revealed that he didn’t talk much about his time in Vietnam because he figured people wouldn’t be particularly interested. He was a deeply humble man.

Upon returning home from Vietnam, he and Norma lived briefly in California, where he finished his army commitment.  In 1970, Hugh began his Radiation Oncology residency in Denver. In 1971, his first daughter, Julie, was born. Two years later, Hugh followed a friend and colleague to Portland, Maine, where his second daughter, Laura, was born, and where he completed his residency and began his long career as a Radiation Oncologist.  In 1973, the family moved to Freeport, where they remained for several decades; Hugh and Norma moved to Cousins Island in 1999.

His career spanned a total of 30 years, split between Maine Medical Center (1973-1988) and Central Maine Medical Center (1988-2003) in Lewiston.  Hugh was a dedicated physician who provided exceptional care to his patients, starting his day at 5am at the hospital (after stopping at a gas station for coffee and donuts). 

Despite his unwavering commitment to his patients and medical practice, Hugh also somehow managed to attend every one of Julie’s musical and theatrical performances and countless hours of Laura’s athletic events.  All the while, he also served on the Freeport School Board (1979-1982), Freeport Town Council (1982-1987), the Pine Tree Society Board of Directors (2004-2012) and the Bowdoin International Music Festival Board of Directors (early 1990s-2024).  Throughout, he continued to share his beautiful bass voice with various choral groups, including the Bowdoin Choir and The Downeast Singers. He was also a recurring performer in the Freeport community musical performance of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” for many years. 

In addition to his civic service, Hugh was firmly committed to philanthropy, supporting many causes and organizations that were near and dear to him, including the Pine Tree Society for Handicapped Children and Adults, Partners for World Health, Portland Stage Company, Room to Read, the Maine Cancer Foundation and the Bowdoin International Music Festival. 

Hugh loved his annual week at Squam Lake with his extended Phelps family, the Red Sox, Tina Turner, the ocean, his squirrel-defeating birdfeeders, and Russian choral music. He was renowned for his ability to fall asleep amidst loud social gatherings, while always waking up just in time to provide the winning answer to the last Trivial Pursuit question. 

Though quiet, his presence was constant and unwaveringly steady. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 60 years, Norma, his daughter Julie and her husband Michael of Albion, his daughter Laura and her husband Iain of Wiscasset, his grandchildren Carolyn and Owen of Albion, his brother Chuck and family of Rochester, NY, his brother Lewis and family of Pasadena, CA, his cousin Pam Ayre, of Milton, CT and many colleagues and friends. The family would like to express gratitude for the care he received at Maine Medical Center and from CHANS Hospice Brunswick in the final days of Hugh’s life. A Celebration of Life will take place at the First Universalist Church of Yarmouth on August 17th at 10:30am. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Pine Tree Camp or Bowdoin International Music Festival. 

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