ATHENS – Douglas M. Harlow, 70, of Athens, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, at his home in Athens, Maine.

Doug had a magical way of making life grand. And he was a coach in every sense of the word. He was a teacher and leader. He was passionate about baseball in general, and the Red Sox in particular, and reveled coaching the Athens Little League team. It meant a lot to him to hear kids call him “coach” years later when he saw them.

Doug loved exploring the world around him. He loved the woods and the stream behind his house. He loved exploring the back roads of Central Maine and could make any day into an adventure. Above all, he really loved his family, and had friends far and wide.

Doug was born March 18, 1949, in Hartford, Conn., son of Ronald A. Harlow and Shirley (Douglas) Harlow. He graduated from Newington High School in Connecticut, class of 1967, and he was a track star. After high school, he attended the University of New Haven in Connecticut. Of course, Doug attended Woodstock in 1969.

In his 20s, Doug travelled extensively throughout Europe and North Africa, up and down the East Coast of the U.S. and across the country to California. He mostly hitchhiked. In his 30s, Doug met Mary Lou Kenefick in Newburyport, Mass. They traveled through Europe in a VW van, chasing the grape harvest in France and the olive harvest in Greece. He truly loved the island of Crete and learned to speak Greek fluently as he lived there on and off.

He enjoyed the Boston punk rock music scene in the 80s. He was also a taxicab driver while living in Boston. Doug was a poet as well as a journalist and had his work published in Art Zone, a Boston-based magazine. While living in Newburyport, he was published in the Newburyport Daily News and Timestream Publications.

Doug married Mary Lou on May 1, 1986, in New Hampshire. They moved to Athens the following year.

He started out working for the Morning Sentinel newspaper based in Waterville, as a correspondent, and then was hired as a staff reporter. He touched many lives with many of the stories he wrote for more than 31 years. While Doug loved to travel, he relished spending time at home working around the house. He enjoyed raising pigs, and he sold eggs from his chickens, and he also enjoyed growing peppers and corn in his gardens.

Besides his wife of 31 years, Mary Lou, of Athens, he leaves his two children, Georgia Harlow, 32, of Portland and John Harlow, 29, of Skowhegan; his brother, Raymond Harlow of Newington, Conn.; and his nephew, Sean Harlow of Connecticut. Doug also had a biological son, Stephen Welles of Los Altos, Calif., and they reunited this past June 15. He also leaves behind his loyal K9 companion, Oakley.

Doug was predeceased by his mother and father, and his father-in-law, John Kenefick.

A celebration of Doug’s life will be held on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 1 p.m. at T & B’s Celebration Center at 414 Madison Avenue, Skowhegan. Arrangements are entrusted to Smart & Edwards Funeral Home, 183 Madison Ave. Skowhegan.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Doug Harlow Fund. Donations will be used to benefit the youth of Athens.

Checks can be made out and mailed to family members, Mary Lou Harlow, John Harlow or Georgia Harlow at

293 Dore Hill Road

Athens, ME 04912

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