Clement and Linda McGillicuddy

In Memoriam: Clement Edward McGillicuddy ’64
Clement Edward “Clem” McGillicuddy, a 1964 graduate of the University of Maine, died peacefully at his home in Manhattan on August 3, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was 84.
 
Born in Houlton, Maine, Clem graduated from the University of Maine, where he was a member of Phi Eta Kappa Fraternity and the honor societies The Sophomore Owls and The Senior Skulls. After graduation, he worked on a crew to clear brush for the extension of Interstate 95 through northern Maine before beginning a career in computer programming in New York City. He later worked for Loeb Rhoades, where he met his wife, Linda. Together, they founded a software business specializing in Wall Street communications systems.
 
Clem had a lifelong passion for investing, a subject he began studying as a young boy. After retiring from computer consulting in 1981, he devoted much of his time to investing, travel, tennis, art, civic affairs, and philanthropy.
 
His commitment to his alma mater was especially significant. He was a generous supporter of the University of Maine and, together with Linda, named and continued to support the Clement and Linda McGillicuddy Humanities Center, reflecting his belief in the enduring value of the humanities and a liberal education. He also partnered with Cleveland Clinic to help provide free health care to disadvantaged children.
 
A lifelong Mainer at heart, Clem spent 42 summers in Northeast Harbor, where he was an active member and past president of the Pot and Kettle and a member of the Northeast Harbor Tennis Club.
 
Clem is survived by his wife of 51 years, Linda; son Steven and his wife, Jessica; daughter Annie and her husband, Max Maeder; five grandchildren; siblings Barbara and Charles; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was predeceased by his brother Thomas.
 
The University of Maine community remembers Clem with admiration and gratitude for his kindness, generosity, intellectual curiosity, and his enduring commitment to the humanities.
 
The full obituary is available.

In summer of 2017, the University of Maine Humanities Center was renamed reflecting the generous support of Clement McGillicuddy ’64 and his wife Linda of Hobe Sound, Florida and Northeast Harbor, Maine.

The McGillicuddys support the Humanities Center through a fund they established at the University of Maine Foundation. The two met in New York City while working in the computer industry, and are committed to “giving back” to a state that means a great deal to their family.

Clement McGillicuddy appreciated the Humanities Center’s diverse activities in Orono and across the state. He especially appreciated that the Center’s outreach extends well beyond classroom learning and opens new horizons for high school students and other Maine citizens. He cited poetry as a long-time, personal interest that is celebrated by the Center, and lauded the Center’s former director, Jennifer Moxley, as “a splendid poet and inspirational speaker.”

The UMaine alumnus added that the Center’s mission resonates with his own experience as an undergraduate who grew up in Houlton, Maine. “The University of Maine exposed me to many new situations, including an introductory course that required us to pick up and read The New York Times every day. To this day, The New York Times feeds my deep interest in the human condition and how the world works. Many of my courses at UMaine, unrelated to my major, contributed to my curiosity and created a foundation for lifelong learning.”

“The McGillicuddys are champions of the arts and humanities,” says Jeffrey Hecker, UMaine vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Their support for the Humanities Center will impact students and faculty, but also countless people of all ages who benefit from the partnerships the center has built with humanities organizations throughout the state. Their commitment to the arts and humanities, especially here in Maine, is inspiring.”

Photo above: Clement McGillicuddy ’64