Emily Mecklenburg, a Rockland physician who died a week ago when she was struck by a mast that snapped and fell to the deck of a schooner during a cruise, was full of passion for life and was always eager to learn and help out, friends and co-workers said Monday.
More than 100 people gathered in the light rain Monday evening at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport to remember and tell stories about Mecklenburg, who worked at the hospital from 2016 until her sudden death on Oct. 9.
People who worked with her said Mecklenburg was enthusiastic in speaking up for her patients and supporting her co-workers. Her friends recounted how she embraced life and tried to absorb as much of it as she could.
Speaking before the gathering, Sarah Austin, a Rockland city councilor, said that Mecklenburg was “a cool person” who was incredibly eager to learn about the world.”
Austin said she first met Mecklenburg five years ago when Mecklenburg was learning how to sail and someone connected her with Austin, an experienced sailor.
“She had a real enthusiasm to learn from anyone who could teach her,” Austin said. “It was really contagious.”
Outside work, Mecklenburg’s interests did not stop at sailing. She took plein air painting classes, learned how to surf, enrolled in wilderness survival training courses and, having already learned how to speak German, was taking Spanish classes too, Austin said. This past spring, Mecklenburg and Austin traveled together to Spain, she said.
“She loved to see the world,” Austin said. “It was hard for me to keep up with her.’
Austin and others said Mecklenburg also was passionate — and had a sense of humor — about her two cats Pasteurella and Bartonella, which she named after disease-causing bacteria. She called them Pasty and Bart, she said.
“She loved her two weird cats very much,” Austin said. “She lived really big for 40 years. I hope to have as full and wonderful life as she had.”
Jennifer Goldberg, another physician at Pen Bay, said that Mecklenburg’s enthusiasm for seemingly everything made her stand out. She owned and lived in a building on Main Street downtown Rockland and frequented many of the neighborhood businesses. She enjoyed hiking and skiing, and just last month finished the “herculean” effort or repaying her student loans, Goldberg said.
“I think Emily gets the award for being involved and helping in more medical emergencies that occurred in the parking lot of the hospital more than any other [non-ER doctor],” Goldberg said. “She ran fast and wanted to help.”
Patrick Mitchell, a former colleague of Mecklenburg’s at Pen Bay, said at Monday’s gathering that she had a “zest for life” that he wanted to emulate.
“I think everyone would agree she really was a beautiful person, in and out,” Mitchell said. “I don’t think there’s anyone who did not learn from Emily.”
Mitchell read for the crowd the poem “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Nir Harish, an emergency room physician at Pen Bay, said he and his wife frequently bumped into Mecklenburg when they went out to eat in Rockland. It was always a treat to see her and hear stories about her latest adventures or plans, he said.
“Since she died, I keep hearing her voice, and she’s always saying the same thing, which is ‘no problem. No problem,’” Harish said. “That was just exactly who she was. Everything was no problem and anything she needed to do she did generously.”
Mecklenburg’s parents, Kris Wright and Peter Mecklenburg, not long ago moved to Maine to be closer to their daughter, according to Austin. They were at Monday’s gathering but did not address the crowd. Instead, they asked Austin to read a comment on their behalf.
“We are learning more about Emily’s heart than we ever knew,” Austin said.