Robert Freeman McKown, 87, of Concord, passed away on July 12, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. Bob was born on August 25, 1936, in Bar Harbor, Maine, and lived a life marked by his passions for family, competition, and the sea.
Bob spent his early years in the picturesque town of Bar Harbor before moving to Wellesley. His ambition shone early, leading him to the University of Maine, Orono, where he studied mathematics, participated in ROTC, was an officer in Phi Kappa Sigma, and captained the tennis team. He met his future bride, Lois Danzig, while lifeguarding on Nantucket Island in the summer of 1956. She was instantly smitten and transferred to Orono for her senior year to be with him. The two graduated in 1958 and married just six days later.
Together, Bob and Lois raised four daughters in Wayland, and built a life of adventure and love. Bob was a true “girl dad” long before the label took root. He introduced his girls to skiing, sailing, baseball, and the world. He attended his daughters’ many athletic games and cheered loudly from the stands without ever adding pressure.
During their early years, Bob ensured that his girls’ weekends were filled with family outings on their sloop, the “Water Witch,” or the slopes of New England. Bob and Lois even packed their brood (including two teenagers!) into a motor home for a joyous month-long tour of bicentennial America. Later, after they rediscovered Mt. Desert Island, Maine, summers were spent together in the picturesque town of Northeast Harbor, Maine — racing International One Designs (IODs) and cruising around the many islands.
When Bob and Lois found a stunning oceanfront property in Southwest Harbor, Maine, they built a home with grandchildren in mind. For the past 38 years that home has been the setting for magical annual reunions. This July, twenty-four family members gathered again for a week to laugh, play, and say goodbye to our beloved patriarch. Bob’s offspring are eternally grateful for his love, guidance, courage, and mindfulness. He was always determined to create a beautiful life for his family and to fully participate in all of it. He worked incredibly hard and found great success as a New York Life agent without ever letting his job rule his life.
Bob is survived by his cherished wife, Lois; his daughters, Kimberly Walters (Roy) of Bedford; Elizabeth Thill (Raymond) of Milton; Stephanie McKown (John Brennan) of Berkeley, California; and Courtney Wolf (Steve) of Durango, Colorado; and his grandchildren, Nate and Zack Walters, Allister Williams, Gavin and Mason Thill, Douglas and Graham Brennan, and Taylor, Brenna, and Leah Wolf. He is also survived by his brother, Ted McKown of Mill Valley, California, along with numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Elizabeth (Morse) McKown of Bar Harbor, Maine.
A memorial service will be held in September in Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his honor to Northern Light Home Care & Hospice – Hancock, who took great care of Bob and Lois in his final weeks. Other causes dear to Bob’s heart include Hope Worldwide in Atlanta, Maine Sea Coast Mission in Northeast Harbor, and the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor.
