Robert H. Conkling

SKOWHEGAN – Robert H. Conkling, 75, died peacefully at home on April 4, 2022, 12 years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. His wife of nearly 54 years, Donna, and their close friend, Susan Cochran, were by his side.

Throughout his life, he loved reading, history, talking with friends, fishing, sailing, canoe camping and exploring the woods of Maine. He was also often either coaching or cheering for his sons’ baseball and soccer teams.

Bob is survived by his wife, Donna; and their sons Joel and Will, as well as Joel’s wife, Danielle, and their two children, Lucas and Alexa, and Will’s wife, Rio Holaday.

Whether for his wry sense of humor, his ability to make you feel comfortable and welcome, his ease conversing across any number of diverse topics, his infectious laugh, or his love of watching and playing sports, he will be missed dearly by all of them.

Bob was born on March 8, 1947 in Newark, N.J., the only child of William C. Conkling and Mary Happ Conkling. He grew up in Essex Fells, N.J. and graduated in 1965 from West Essex High School in North Caldwell, N.J. where he was an outstanding student, soccer player and track star.

He graduated cum laude in 1969 from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. with a B.A. degree in anthropology, a field of study that he loved because he could “study everything”.

While at Wesleyan, he met Donna Sharpless at the end of his freshman year. They married during their senior year in 1968.

He continued his study of anthropology at the University of Chicago where he earned his M.A. in 1971 and his Ph.D in 1975. His studies took him to Indonesia where he did social science field research in Ujung Pandang, Sulawesi Selatan (Celebes) that resulted in several articles published in social science journals.

The next phase of his life had many twists, first taking him back to Indonesia on a Ford Foundation grant where he studied Islamic education and spent time at mosques and in Islamic schools. After about six months, this endeavor became politically sensitive and the project was terminated.

Meanwhile, Donna had decided to go to medical school and, with academic jobs being scarce, he went to the Adirondacks to learn carpentry from his uncle, Lain Conkling. With that training, he earned a living as a finish carpenter/builder with a group in Philadelphia while Donna finished medical school.

In 1979, Donna’s residency in family medicine brought them both to central Maine where he teamed up with David Larkin to build energy-efficient homes. One of his projects was an off-the-grid house in Canaan, where Bob and Donna raised two sons until the family moved into Skowhegan in 1993.

At that time, his aging body told him it was time to hang up his hammer and he entered law school at the University of Southern Maine. He graduated with a law degree in 1996 and began practicing law at Wright and Mills Law Office in Skowhegan.

After 16 years of practicing law, he retired at the age of 65 due to symptoms stemming from Parkinson’s disease.

In the last years of his life, he enjoyed spending time with friends and family, reading voraciously, listening to other people read to him, cheering on the Red Sox, and watching Great Courses on art, geology, travel, and oceanography.

A memorial celebration commemorating his life will occur sometime later this spring or summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice Volunteers of Maine, Lake George Regional Park or a local charity of one’s choice.