Frederick Briggs Jordan
January 2, 1940 – February 24, 2025
“There goes Fred, trying something new,” Fred said when asked to write his obituary in 2020.
Frederick Briggs Jordan was the first baby born in Westbrook, Maine, on January 2, 1940. He
was the beloved only child of Clifford and Marjorie Jordan and was raised primarily by his
mother and Aunt Mary, alongside his cousin Charlie. From a young age, Fred had a deep love
for animals, raising skunks and raccoons as a child.
After graduating from Mt. Hermon boarding school, Fred attended Bowdoin College in
Brunswick, Maine, followed by Tufts Medical School. He completed his residency in pathology

in Richmond, Virginia, before embarking on a distinguished career. He was granted a full
professorship of pathology at the University of Oklahoma and took on his first Medical
Examiner position at the Office of the Chief Medical Center in Oklahoma where he spent 32
years—21 of them as Chief. He rose to national prominence during the Oklahoma City Bombing
in 1995. Throughout his career, he also shared his knowledge by teaching pathology at Saint
George’s University in Grenada, West Indies.
Fred loved Maine and returned in 2004 to the home he built for his mother and grandparents,
Harold and Maude Briggs, in West Poland. Fred said “Service is what it is all about.” He
worked as Deputy Chief for the Office of the Medical Examiner in Augusta. In 2015, he
graduated from the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine and was the Chaplain for Stephens Memorial
Hospital and Midcoast Hospital’s Senior Health Center. He volunteered at Androscoggin Home
Health and Hospice, and in 2016 he was honored as the Statewide Homecare Volunteer of the
Year at the Blaine House. He was many thing, including one of the “founding fathers” of Poland
Fire Rescue Department, a 50-year Mason at Tyrian Lodge #73 in Mechanics Falls, and a
member of the First Universalist Church in West Paris.
A great joy in his life were his dogs, who were always by his side. He spent summers at his
small camp in Harpswell, enjoying visits with his cousin Charlie’s daughter, Marie. Bird
watching (he so looked forward to this spring’s birds), Native American history and art were
three of his many passions.
In his final year, Fred moved to Quarry Hill in Camden, where he quickly became friends with
everyone he met, including Carol Freebairn. Together, they walked daily on the trails, visited
the dog park, and watched the ducks by the pond. They formed a close-knit group with friends
John and Alison, sharing monthly supper clubs filled with fine food, wine, and laughter. Fred
was often found in his easy chair by the window, with his books and plants, his door slightly ajar
with a note inviting visitors to “Come on in.”
Fred passed away from pneumonia on February 24, 2025, after a brief hospitalization at PBMC.
His final wishes were honored by his best friend, Dr. John Pagonis, and he peacefully slipped
away surrounded by friends who held his hands.
Fred leaves behind a lifetime of cherished friendships from every place he lived, worked and
traveled, including the medical examiner, Poland, and Oklahoma City communities; his cousins
Marie and Wallace Ridley; and dear friends Carol Freebairn, Rich and Amy Frankel, Alison
Pagonis, and his best friend of 30 years, Dr. John Pagonis.
Heartfelt gratitude is extended to the Quarry Hill community for embracing and loving Fred, and
to the PBMC SCU department for their compassionate care. Special thanks to Linda Russell, his
longtime friend and conservator, who tirelessly advocated for his well-being.
Fred’s memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
There will be a gathering to celebrate Fred’s very full life at the Water Museum at Poland Spring
Resort, May 17th at 4:30-6:00 pm, Poland Spring Resort, 640 Maine Street Poland, Maine.

If so inclined, donations can be made to P.A.W.S. Animal Adoption Center, 123 John St,
Camden, ME 04843; Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, 55 Strawberry Ave, Lewiston, ME
04240; or to one of two scholarship funds: Dr. Fred Jordan Endowed Scholarship at the
University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive Edmond, Oklahoma 73034, for
students pursuing a Forensic Science degree and a soon to be established Scholarship Fund at
Bowdoin College for Mainers with financial need, Estate of Frederick Jordan, PO Box 341,
Rumford, ME 04276.
FMI, please email [email protected]