Topsham Man Dies of Tick-Borne Babesiosis, Family Says

A 53-year-old Topsham man whose warmth and wide-ranging talents made him a familiar face across the Brunswick area died unexpectedly last month from a severe case of babesiosis, a tick-borne illness that has been spreading more widely across the Northeast.

Thomas James "TJ" Porter died in the early morning hours of Aug. 13, 2026, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, surrounded by his immediate family, according to his obituary.

Porter's life traced a path from a peripatetic childhood to deep roots in coastal Maine. He was born in Pensacola, Florida, and spent his early years moving with his Navy father through Spain, Germany, New York, Washington, D.C., and Virginia Beach, Virginia, before his family settled in the Brunswick-Topsham area when he was 9 years old. He attended Saint John's Catholic School in Brunswick and graduated from Cheverus High School in Portland.

In Brunswick, Porter became a fixture. Affectionately known as "The King of Brunswick," he was an early regular at Bohemian Coffee House on Maine Street and later at its Railway Avenue location. He went on to earn a degree from Southern Maine Technical College and built a career that reflected what his family described as his "jack of all trades" nature — working in graphics and technology for Wicked Joe Coffee and Iacano, helping open a restaurant in Yarmouth, serving beloved shifts at Henry and Marty in Brunswick, working in the medical cannabis industry, and most recently, performing home renovations.

Those who knew him remembered a man who filled a room when he walked into it. His obituary paints a picture of someone with a beaming smile, a hearty laugh, and a warm bear hug, who loved art from an early age, spent hours kayaking, listened to an eclectic range of music, and could build almost anything. He had a deep well of knowledge on a wide range of subjects, his loved ones said, and delighted in anything slightly unconventional while still being able to hold his own in meaningful conversation.

"He energized a room when he walked in and felt equally energized by those around him," his family wrote. "He had a gift of being a kind comrade to all, regardless of circumstance."

In his younger years, his family grew accustomed to being identified by their connection to him. It was rare, they said, to meet someone new without hearing, "Oh, you are related to TJ? We love TJ!"

Above all, his family said, Porter cherished his two sons and his wife, Carolyn, and was known as one of the kindest men either of his boys could have called Dad.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his oldest son, Jonah; his youngest son, Caius; his parents, Thomas and Sharon; and his younger brother, Doug, Doug's wife, Mary, and their two children.

A celebration of life is planned for Sept. 12. Details are available at https://everloved.com/life-of-thomas-james-porter/.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be directed to two research efforts focused on the disease that took his life: the MaineHealth Institute for Research's Lyme & Vector-borne Disease Laboratory, and the Tufts Babesiosis Research Program. More information about babesiosis can be found at https://www.tuftsmedicine.org/research-clinical-trials/research-institutes-research-specialty/geographic-medicine-infectious-diseases-research/babesiosis-research-program.