AUBURN – GARY F. WOLCOTT, 72, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Sunday morning, July 16, 2023. His passing marked the end of a long struggle with diabetes and multiple myeloma. Gary fought valiantly to keep going for the love of his family and the commitment to his brain injury work. He had been moved to Hospice House 24 hours before his passing, after being cared for by his family at home for ten days. Born August 17, 1950, in Adrian, Michigan, Gary was the first child of Bernard F. and Kathryn J. (Mumaw) Wolcott. Raised in Adrian, Gary attained the rank of Eagle Scout; he graduated from Adrian High School in 1968. He went to Albion College in Michigan, graduating in 1972 with a degree in Studio Arts. Gary met his wife Susan Crane at Albion; they were married there in 1971. Susan's calling to serve in pastoral ministry led them next to Boston, where Gary worked for Kennedy Studios and later the Chelmsford Youth Program, while Susan pursued her studies. From 1975–1977, Gary pursued and was awarded a Masters of Education in Community Mental Health Counseling from Northeastern University. During Susan's first pastorate in Lowville, NY, Gary worked as the Associate Director of the Lewis County Opportunities CAP Agency, and then the Executive Director for Lewis County ARC, before the couple moved back to the Boston area for Gary to pursue post graduate studies. When the program was phased out, Gary began to volunteer at the National Head Injury Foundation in Framingham, MA, while Susan served a church in Weston, MA. During this time, Gary's father suffered a brain injury as a result of early brain surgery to remove a tumor. In response to this family crisis, the trajectory of Gary's life shifted to helping develop more effective ways to help people with disabilities due to brain injury. He became the Director of Education & Professional Development for the National Head Injury Foundation in 1986. While living in Weston, MA, he also served as a Scout Master, organizing trips to two National Jamborees, as well as two expeditions to Philmont Scout Reserve in Cimarron, NM. At the time his work with NHIF required a great deal of travel for national speaking events; it was Scouting that grounded his relationship with his two sons. In 1990 NHIF moved to Washington, DC, and Gary decided to set up a small consulting business. One of his early contracts was to work with the former Brain Injury Association of Maine, implementing teacher training throughout the state. He co-edited with Ronald Savage a book to help parents and teachers write and implement I.E.P.s for students with brain injuries. Gary helped to establish River Ridge brain injury Rehab Center in Kennebunk. His pride and joy was the work he did to envision and build the Spiller Park Assisted Living Apartments in Gorham; the first residents to live there had been institutionalized for years in facilities out of state, because of behavior problems resulting from their brain injuries. Gary believed these brain injury survivors could live successfully in the community, live independently in their own apartments, and pursue their own interests with help from staff. In 2000 the rest of Gary's family joined him in Maine. Gary was employed by Goodwill Industries of NNE, first as Director of Residential Brain Injury Services, and later as Director of Education, Training & Staff Development. In 2007, Gary became the Program Manager for Maine DHHS Brain Injury Services; at that point brain injury was not considered a disability category to be funded by state or federal resources. Gary developed the waiver making it possible for brain injury survivors to receive the ongoing support they needed to live successfully in the community. In 2012, Gary was promoted to Associate Director of OADS within DHHS; and in 2014, he became the Director. The Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) provides direct service to over 30,000 Maine citizens and provides program management of Maine's six Home and Community Medicaid Waivers, including the Brain Injury Waiver. Gary was deeply committed to bringing brain injury survivors home from out-of-state placements to receive their rehabilitation and support close to home and family. Gary retired from state government in April, 2017. He kept busy renovating his old farmhouse in Chesterville and enjoyed tending to his woodlot, now a Tree Farm. He continued until very recently to participate in the Acquired Brain Injury Advisory Council (ABIAC) for the State of Maine, and served on the Advisory Board of the Brain Injury Association of America/Maine chapter. His work on behalf of brain injury survivors and their families continues to be a blessing. He was a member of the Henderson Memorial Baptist Church in Farmington until Susan's retirement in 2020, and became a member at Penney Memorial United Baptist Church in Augusta in 2021. Gary was predeceased by his parents, grandparents, and their siblings. Gary is survived by his wife of 52 years, the Rev. Susan Crane; his son Joshua and wife Lila and two grandchildren, Archie and Vivian of La Crescent, MN; his son Benjamin and wife Nayika of Chesterville; and an "adopted" daughter, Kelly Nelson (Toone, TN) and her sons Justin and Eric Foppiano. Also surviving Gary are his brothers, Roy and Lynn Wolcott and their families in Michigan; his mother-in-law, Betty Crane of Florida, as well as brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews and their children. A Celebration of Life will be held at Penney Memorial United Baptist Church, 393 Water St., Augusta, ME 04330 on Wednesday, August 9, at 1:00 pm., the Rev. Justin Frank presiding. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in memory of Gary Wolcott to either Androscoggin Home Health and Hospice, 15 Strawberry Ave., Lewiston, ME 04240; or to BIAAME at 126 Western Ave. #261, Augusta, ME 04330