Dr. Malcolm Cass: Dedicated and Devoted Servant

Dr. Malcolm Cass: Devoted and Dedicated Servant of Peoples United Methodist Church
It seems fitting that while we all have stories to share about Dr. Cass and Hillie those things in a person’s life that are most meaningful to them can be discerned from their own writing. In response to a request by the present historian of Peoples in gathering family histories for an as yet to be published book titled, Roots of Peoples, Dr. Cass submitted the following in 2004. Art Tordoff
Walter H. Cass, born in England, was the oldest of eight children, and his wife to be, Ethel Marion Laugher, was the only child in her Birmingham family. A letter from his sister, Olive, in 1969 told us that Marion brought Walter into deeper religious experience, and he decided to come as a clergyman to Newfoundland, which he did in 1913. This, he found, was a mistake, and after a few weeks he returned to England, but soon again crossed the Atlantic, this time to Maine, where Columbia Falls was his first pastorate. Marion followed him in 1915-15 and they were immediately married by the Rev. William Stewart of Addison, Maine. Malcolm was born in 1916.
Walter Cass studied theology at Boston University and Bangor Theological Seminary and was ordained into the full ministry in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He and his wife, Marion served their lives in the Maine Conference., in churches at Columbia Falls, Pembroke, Milltown, Bucksport, Brownville Junction, Bar Harbor, Old Orchard Beach, and finally Peoples Church in South Portland. The Reverend Walter H. Cass dropped dead while walking up Congress Street in 1942, and his widow likewise died of a heart attack in 1950. Mrs. Cass, who had taught music in British schools in earlier years, continued as a minister’s wife in directing choirs in her husband’s churches and finally serving as director of Peoples Church Junior Choir in the 1940’s.
Malcolm Walter Cass, born in 1916, became the big brother to his sister Elaine in 1918. They grew up in the family parsonages, and attended schools starting in Bucksport and the towns served by their father as minister. Malcolm, who graduated from Bar Harbor High School in 1933, became organist of Clark Memorial Church in 1931 and has rarely since that time been without an organist’s position, serving as Bowdoin College chapel Organist, and then in various churches and Air Force chapels during college and World War II Air Force days. He was an aerial photographic officer in World War II, being captain of a B-29 2oth Air Force photo section on Guam.
In 1941, Malcolm married Hildreth E. Edwards, whom he met at a Peoples Church choir rehearsal. During World War II they were together in Colorado and Oklahoma during his tour of duty before he was sent to Guam. They are the parents of Malcolm W. Cass Jr., and David, both of whom are graduates of South Portland High School. Malcolm Jr. is also a Bowdoin graduate and employed by Glaxo-Smith-Kline pharmaceuticals in Raleigh, North Carolina where he and his wife, Annette, live. David, a Williams College graduate is with the Francine and Sterling Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Both sons are married and David and Sue are parents of adopted daughters; Elizabeth from China and Ann from Vietnam.
Malcolm Sr., is a 50 year member of the South Portland Lions Club and was recently elected to Life Membership in Lions. He is also a 60 year member of the American Guild of Organists. As an organist he has presented more than 60 concerts on the Kotzchmar Memorial Organ in Merrill Auditorium and was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the friends of the Kotzchmar Organ, which honored him with the dedication of a new booklet devoted to that instrument. He has been organist for Peoples United Methodist Church since 1946 and director of the Senior Choir since 1953 when he succeeded Mrs. Evelyn Tilton. He was also organist for the Maine Annual Conference during its last 25 years of existence as the Maine Conference. He has given many organ recitals in churches of New England.
Through the years he has acted as member, president and chairman of church clubs and committees including the Men’s Club, Trustees and Finance. He was Cubmaster of the first Cub Scout Pack in the old Peoples Church, and sons Malcolm and David were both active Scouts under the leadership of Harvey Woodbury who took his Scouts to National Jamborees in Colorado and Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
Malcolm and Hillie took many trips to England where they became acquainted with his English relatives. They were members of a large group from Peoples Church who traveled in 1988 to the Holy Land and Egypt, and they also went to Italy in 1984 and met the family of Giovanni Losito, who had been an exchange student in Maine living with them during Malcolm Jr.’s and David’s high school years. Giovanni (Johnnie) has recently requested the right to add the name "Cass" to his family name Losito.
After graduation from Bowdoin College and Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Malcolm practiced optometry in Portland until his retirement in 1982. He served as President of the Maine State Board of Optometry, appointed to that board by Governor John Reed. Hillie, who was a graduate of Simmons College, has at different times been president of the Maine and New England Optometric Auxilary Societies, and the League of Women Voters of South Portland.illie, who was a graduate of Simmons
In 2003, Malcolm and Hillie Cass still pretty much center their lives about Peoples United Methodist Church, Hillie as director of the Junior Choir which sings every Sunday in church, and Malcolm leading the Senior Choir and congregation in worship with Peoples’ fine Reuter Pipe Organ.
As an addendum we must add that Malcolm served as the Church Historian for many years keeping a collection of papers and memorabilia in tact.

Feel free to add your stories about Hillie and Malcolm by responding to this posting.