To be with Joseph (“Joe”) Linwood Cahoon was to be in an uncomplicated place of peace, balance, and love. It is with great sadness that we must announce that Joe passed away peacefully on April 20th, 2026, surrounded, as he was in life, by his loving family. When we remember his battle with esophageal cancer we will remember how he fought to stay with his family - with grit, determination, and sheer strength of will.

Joe was born in Lewiston, Maine on December 10, 1952, to Hilda (Scott) and Leo Joseph Labbe. He moved frequently during his childhood, spending time in Auburn, Maine, Lake Minchumina, Alaska, and Nantucket, Massachusetts As a boy, Joe enjoyed trapping in the dense woods around Lake Michumina. He also marveled at the beauty of Denali, which towered beyond the lake. Joe took from his childhood only the best parts, the love of his grandmother Isabel Scott, a bond with nature and animals, and the knowledge of the kind of life he wanted to live.

Joe graduated from Nantucket High School in 1972 as a proud Whaler. He then went on to Framingham State College where he met the love of his life, Sherry Olsen of Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Joe and Sherry were married in 1975 and celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary in March of this year. As a couple, Joe and Sherry were not only inseparable, but also perfectly matched. They were truly meant for each other.

Joe and Sherry raised their children in Franklin, Massachusetts, where Joe owned and operated a small trucking company. His approach to parenting reflected his love of teasing; always trying to embarrass his kids when they were young and trying to annoy them after that. After the children left home, Joe and Sherry moved to Wiscasset, Maine. Once in Wiscasset, Joe started a new small company and put his jack-of-all-trade skills to use. Joe, who always loved working with his hands, performed diverse tasks for his clients including remodeling, property maintenance, and light construction. He was particularly fond of working with the Robert F. MacNamara Foundation, which he did for more than 15 years.

In 2013, Joe moved from Wiscasset to South Portland, Maine, where he continued his hobby of tinkering with whatever needed (or didn’t need) fixing. His favorite projects were always working with his family on their homes, where he instilled both practical skills and life lessons (including that any job worth doing is worth doing well). He also spent a great deal of time getting his knees dirty in his gardens, which were a place of peace for him and a landmark for the neighborhood. His favorite time of each week was Saturday morning, when the entire family would gather for breakfast, and which always included much love and laughter. He also tried very hard (sometimes successfully) to train squirrels and chipmunks.

For the last ten years of his life, Joe’s primary focus was his beloved grandchildren. He engaged with both of them in a manner that filled them with love and confidence, and he always reminded them to let their individuality shine. He encouraged them to get dirty, to build things, to love nature, and to tend to their gardens and their souls. He was their most focused teacher and their best friend. His impact on his grandchildren has been immeasurable, as was their impact on him.

Joe is survived by his loving wife Sherry Cahoon, his daughter Denali Cahoon and her husband Frank Jamison, his son Joseph Cahoon Jr. and his wife Christina, and his grandchildren Anna Cahoon and Declan Cahoon. He is also survived by his brother Ron (“Fine”) Elliott and his wife Kathy, his sister Pam (“Publa”) Marken, his sister Elaine Terpstra and her husband Rick, his sister Patti Edwards and her husband Bob, his sister Denna Charnes and her husband Jimmy, and his brother-in-law Jack McGrath. He was predeceased by his father Leo Labbe, his mother Hilda Elliott, and his brothers Scott Labbe and James Cahoon Jr.

Joe embodied grace, kindness, and joy in everything that he did, and his gentle wisdom could lift any spirit. The best way that anyone can honor Joe is to mirror this example. Treat everyone with love, respect, honesty, and care. Take the time to brighten the day of a stranger, or to listen to someone else’s story. Don’t sweat the small stuff and ignore your kids if they tell you that you drink terrible coffee. Take pride in the person you are, and leave the world a better place because you were in it.

A celebration of Joe’s life will be set at a later date. In the meantime, raise a glass of brown ale, hug your family, and celebrate that we all had the privilege of being loved by Joe.      

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