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Charles E. Skelton
RICHMOND - Charles E. Skelton, 54, husband of Gail A. Skelton, died unexpectedly, Thursday June 8, 2000, at his home on the Brunswick Road, Richmond. born May 28, 1946, he was the youngest of nine children of Morris and Olga (Swanson) Skelton.
He was a 1964 graduate of Lisbon High School, a 1977 graduate of the University of Maine, and studied goldsmithing at the Academy of Art and Design.
A lifelong bird fancier, he was an active member of the Northern New England Bird Fanciers Club, and the Maine Pigeon Association. Charles also belonged to the Knights of Pythias. A Vietnam veteran, he was a member of the American Legion, Emerson and Lane Post 132.
Upon his retirement from Sears in Augusta, he spent most of his time raising and breeding Australian shepherds.
Surviving is his wife of 28 years, Gail (Austin) Skelton; two sons, Israel and his wife, Kathryn of Norway, Aaron of Richmond, and a daughter, Rebecca of Richmond He is also survived by two sisters, Marion Fowler of Bowdoin, Lillian Robinson of South Freeport; two brothers, George of Litchfield and Alfred of South Harpswell. He was predeceased by his parents, and four brothers, Leonard, Reinhold, Lawrence and James.
At the family’s request there will be no visiting hours or service.
Ella V. Lunt
FRENCHBORO and ELLSWORTH - Ella V. Lunt, 92, died June 24, 2000, at an Ellsworth health-care facility. She was born June 10, 1908, in Frenchboro. She will be sadly missed by her only daughter, grandchildren, and her many other friends and relatives.
She is survived by a daughter, Edna Pio of Ellsworth; six grandchildren, Dolores Heckman, Elaine Pio and Douglas Pio, all of Ellsworth, Jacqueline Pio of Skowhegan, Aaron Pio of Blue Hill, Gloria Procepio of New Bedford, Mass.; eight great-grandchildren, Jason and Sam Heckman, Dustin Pio, Douglas Pio Jr., Brian Scott, Joshua Hellum, Arthur Grant, Sherry Procepio; one great-great grandson, Daemon Pio; and many thanks to Peggy Bitts for the care she gave to Ella. Ella was predeceased by her beloved husband of 60 years, Clifton Lunt, and a son, Malcolm Lunt.
Friends are invited to a graveside memorial service to be held at the Lunt cemetery on Frenchboro at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 7, 2000, with the Rev. Ted Hoskins officiating. The Maine Sea Coast Mission water vessel Sunbeam will be providing transportation to the services and will be leaving the dock in Northeast Harbor at 9 a.m. on Friday. Contributions in Ella’s memory may be made to the Maine Sea Coast Mission, 127 West St., Bar Harbor 04609. Arrangements in care of Fernald Funeral Chapel, Mount Desert.
Josephine Graton Chase
BLUE HILL - Josephine Graton Chase, 89, of Blue Hill, died suddenly at her home on May 16, 2000. Josephine was born Nov. 30, 1910, in Glen Ridge, N.J., daughter of Louis Caryl and Josephine Edith (Bowman) Graton.
She grew up in Cambridge, Mass., graduating from Buckingham School before attending Bryn Mawr College, where she earned a BA with highest honors in classical archaeology. She furthered her studies at Radcliffe, where she was awarded an MA. She was married to Philip Wigglesworth Chase of Milton, Mass., on June 16, 1934 in Cambridge. She followed Phil, who was a mining geologist, to Mexico and Central America and then to Minnesota and Pennsylvania, often traveling with him to Europe, Africa and Asia as his work took him to foreign places. After Phil retired in 1967, they moved to central Oregon, where, for the next 15 years, they raised Hereford cattle commercially. Following Phil’s death in 1990, Josephine moved back East, and made her home at Parker Ridge, where she was a much-loved member of the community. She maintained her humor, kindness and joy of life and nature to the end.
She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Brill of Sedgwick; sons, Philip (Ellen) of Philadelphia and Alfred of San Francisco; four grandchildren, Jo Brill (David Jensen) of Peekskill, N.Y., Marti Siebert (Jed) of Sedgwick, Carl Brill (Amy) of North Bend, Wash., and Katherine Brill of Denver, Colo.; four great-grandchildren; and a brother and sister-in-law, E. Dixwell and Mary Chase of Blue Hill. She will be greatly missed by her family and by all those who knew her.
Memorial services were held May 23, 2000, at the First Congregational Church, Blue Hill. Memorial donations may be made to the Downeast Audubon Society, P.O. Box 5267, Ellsworth 04605, or the Nature Conservancy, 14 Maine St., Brunswick 04011. Arrangements by Healey Funeral Home, South Street, Blue Hill.
Hazel F. Sandomire
GARRISON, N.Y. - Hazel F. Sandomire died on June 2, 2000, at her home in Garrison, N.Y., at age 50. She was born in New York City to Daniel and Essie Sandomire on April 8, 1950.
The family later moved to Scarsdale, where she graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1967. She held a BA degree from SUNY/Binghamton and law degrees from Brooklyn Law School and Columbia Law School. After college she worked for Scribner Books and then for Brooklyn Assemblyman Frank Barbaro. After law school she became an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn in 1979 and rose to the rank of deputy bureau chief before leaving in 1987 to pursue a career change as a teacher. In 1996 she joined the staff of the English Department at Monroe-Woodbury High School in Central Valley, N.Y. She loved teaching. As a fellow lawyer and teacher once said, she would rather educate than litigate.
She is survived by her husband, Peter Crary Richter, a brother, her in-laws, and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held 3 p.m. Sunday, June 18, 2000, at St. Philips Church in Garrison and in August in Sorrento.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her name to the Garrison Volunteer Fire Company and/or the Garrison Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
Ronald Alden Jordan
SURRY and BAR HARBOR - Ronald Alden Jordan, 56, died June 12, 2000, at a Blue Hill hospital. He was born July 11, 1943, in Bar Harbor, the son of Alden Morse and Florence (Clayton) Jordan.
Ronald was a dedicated worker for Bangor Hydro for 27 years, retiring in 1995. He was an avid fisherman,
hunter
and trapper. He was especially fond of his lodge at Upper Enchanted Township in Jackman as well as his many friends. He was a life member of the National Trapper’s Association and the NRA.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 34 years, Mary (Castellucci) Jordan; one son, Mark Ronald Jordan of Bar Harbor; one daughter, Joanne Leona Lyons of Surry; two brothers, Philip Jordan of Albuquerque, N.M., and Donald Jordan of Anchorage, Alaska; a twin sister, Joan Clement and her husband, Fred of Micco, Fla.; a sister, Diane Young of Ellsworth; three grandchildren, Ronnie Lyons, Jeffrey Jordan and David Dorr.
A funeral service was held June 14, 2000, at Jordan Funeral Home, 113 Franklin St., Ellsworth, with Pastor Bud Morse officiating. Interment was at Upper Enchanted Township. If friends wish, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, Maine Division, Inc., 52 Federal St., Brunswick, ME 04011.
Dorothy Fisher Whitney
MACHIAS - Dorothy Fisher Whitney of Machias died peacefully in her sleep at an Ellsworth health-care facility on Sunday morning, June 25, 2000. She was born July 28, 1905, in Pembroke to Carroll Edward and Esther Wilder Fisher.
Following graduation from Washington State Teachers’ College, she taught school in Island Falls. Dorothy married Millard Whitney of Jonesboro on July 28, 1928. They moved to St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, R.I., where she taught elementary grades until their children were born. To be close to their families, Dorothy and her husband moved back to Maine. In 1939, they settled in Machias where they raised their children, established their automobile business and lived in the same house long enough to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.
Dorothy enjoyed the Eastern Star and traveled with Millard to his Masonic activities, making many friends. After holding many offices, she was elected Worthy Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter of Maine, OES, in 1952.
Centre Street Congregational Church was an important part of her life. She served on the diaconate as president of the Women’s Guild, Key Woman, Pastoral Search Committee, Stewardship Chairman, treasurer for five years, administrator of the Memorial Fund, organizer of suppers and church craft tables and a member of the choir for many years. She cooked a canner of beans for almost every church supper, baked hundreds of pies and never turned down a request for help.
Dorothy and Millard attended every local basketball game and state tournament as long as they were able. They were proud of their lifetime honorary passes for games at Machias Memorial High School.
Dorothy’s family was the centerpiece of her life. She loved to gather them to celebrate most any occasion.
She was predeceased by her husband, Millard Ashton Whitney, in 1993 and by her sister, Evelyn Fisher Sturke, in 1933. She is survived by one sister, Beth Gardner of Ellsworth; one son, Dale Fisher Whitney and his wife, Virginia Winslow Whitney, of Machias; one daughter, Evelyn Whitney Foster and her husband, Peter Andersen, of Princeton, N.J., and Ellsworth. She had six grandchildren, Dorothy Foster Vachon and her husband, Nicholas, of Ellsworth, Robert Whitney Foster and his wife, Renee, of Hampden, Helen Whitney Ardito and her husband, Gregory, of Pipersville, Pa., Elizabeth Whitney Stanke and her husband, Mark, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., Daniel Carl Foster and his wife, Robin, of Orrington, and David Millard Whitney and his wife, Holly, of Northfield. Dorothy is survived by 10 great-grandchildren, Jake, Katie, Ben and Isaac Foster of Bangor, Gabe, Rosie and Belle Vachon of Ellsworth, Brooke and Alec Stanke of Lee’s Summit, and Emma Foster of Orrington. She is also survived by an extended family of nieces, nephews and cousins.
Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of her life at the Centre Street Congregational Church in Machias on July 8 at 2:30 p.m. The family suggests that for those who wish, memorial gifts may be made in lieu of flowers to the Centre Street Congregational Church or the Machias Masonic Hall Building Fund.
Samuel Taylor
BLUE HILL - Playwright Samuel Taylor, author of such Broadway hits as "Sabrina Fair" and "The Pleasure of His Company," as well as the screenplay of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller, "Vertigo," died May 26, 2000, at his home in Blue Hill. Mr. Taylor, who was 87, had been in failing health for the past year and died of arterial sclerotic heart disease.
Mr. Taylor’s best-known plays were "The Happy Time," "Sabrina Fair," with Joseph Cotten and Margaret Sullavan; and "The Pleasure of His Company" with Cornelia Otis Skinner, who co-starred with Cyril Ritchard. Mr. Taylor also co-wrote the screenplay of "Vertigo."
Mr. Taylor had a decades-long affinity with the coast of Maine. He and his wife Suzanne began spending summers in the Blue Hill area in 1945 and bought an old farmhouse in East Blue Hill in 1947. Although the Taylor family rented an apartment in New York during the winter, Mr. Taylor and his wife and children usually spent at least two months every summer in their East Blue Hill house.
In the late 1960s, the Taylors stopped living in New York and began to live full-time in East Blue Hill. Mr. Taylor said he liked living in East Blue Hill because it was beautiful and peaceful and near the water. And he also found it a very peaceful place for writing, which was his main interest. In 1998, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor moved to the Parker Ridge retirement community in Blue Hill.
Mr. Taylor is survived by his wife, Suzanne of Blue Hill; two sons, David Taylor of Brookline, Mass., and Michael Taylor of Berkeley, Calif.; a stepdaughter, Ellinor Mitchell of New York, N.Y.; and nine grandchildren.
A memorial service in Maine is planned for the summer. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers contributions to the Blue Hill Library Campaign, c/o Robin Clements, Blue Hill Public Library, Blue Hill, ME 04614.
Helen Emily Jordan
AURORA - Helen Emily Jordan, 82, died June 6, 2000, at her home in Aurora. She was born March 5, 1918, in Aurora, the daughter of Olin and Edith (Jordan) Jordan.
She was a graduate of Bangor High School, Class of 1936. For more than 60 years, she owned and operated Jordan’s General Store in Aurora and Jordan’s Blueberry Farm. She was a longtime member of the Aurora School Board and was an avid animal lover, especially of her cats. Helen enjoyed raking blueberries and tending the gardens.
Helen is survived by one son, Donald Lawrence Jordan; one daughter, Donna Jordan Manzo, both of Aurora; two granddaughters, Michelle Cote and her husband, Tim, and Judy Marie Manzo, both of Aurora; a niece, Janice Byard and her husband, James, of Bradley and her children, Debbie and Ann; and a sister-in-law, Gertrude Jordan of Bangor. She leaves behind many caring friends who visited her daily. She was predeceased by a brother, Grover Jordan.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 8, 2000, at Amherst/Aurora Congregational Church, with Pastor Rolf Hellum officiating. At Helen’s request, memorial donations may be made to the Amherst/Aurora Congregational Church, care of Louise Larson, Great Pond Road, Aurora 04408. Arrangements by Jordan Funeral Home, 113 Franklin St., Ellsworth.
Doris A. Mitchell
SOUTHWEST HARBOR - Doris A. Mitchell, 88, died June 26, 2000, at a Bar Harbor health-care facility. She was born March 14, 1912, in Hall Quarry, the daughter of Alonzo and Lottie (Robbins) Hodgdon.
Doris was a loving, caring mother, grandmother and friend. She worked at the Claremont Hotel for more than 30 years.
Doris is survived by her son, Gardiner Mitchell and his wife, Janet, of Southwest Harbor; one sister, Althea and her husband, Joseph Mussetti, of Hall Quarry; two grandchildren, Robert Mitchell and his wife, Jennifer, of Mount Desert and Pamela Mitchell of Southwest Harbor; three great-grandchildren, Nat Brehmer of Southwest Harbor, Brett and Calli Mitchell of Mount Desert; many nieces, nephews, cousins and special friends at Ridge Apartments. She was predeceased by her husband, Julius E. Mitchell.
Graveside services will be held 10 a.m. Thursday, June 29, 2000, at Mt. Height Cemetery. If friends desire, contributions in Doris’s memory may be made to the Southwest Harbor/Tremont Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 437, Southwest Harbor 04679. Arrangements by Fernald Funeral Chapel, Mount Desert.
Andrew Scott Collier
SURRY - Andrew Scott Collier, 19, the beloved son of Sandra Hylander Collier and Stephen Collier, died accidentally May 28, 2000, at Upper Patten Pond, Ellsworth. He was born Oct. 12, 1980, in Bar Harbor.
Andrew attended Surry Elementary School and graduated from George Stevens Academy, Blue Hill, in 1998. He just completed his sophomore year at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., majoring in government. An avid golfer, Andy competed at both the high school and college level. He worked the past two summers at the Northeast Harbor Golf Club, Northeast Harbor.
In addition to is parents, Andrew is survived by a brother, Peter Hylander Collier of Surry; grandparents, Nancy and Robert Hylander of Trenton, Ellen and Edwin Collier of Bethesda, Md.; aunts, Bonnie Brody of Williamsville, N.Y., Susan Hylander Duncan of Cold Spring, N.Y., Martha Riva of Bethesda, Md., Sarah Munsey of Gray, Catherine Fiorello of Cicero, N.Y., an uncle, John Collier of Vienna, Va.; great-grandmothers, Grace Beverage of Dresden, Martha Clodfelter of Columbus, Ohio; 15 cousins and many friends. Andy loved his family and friends dearly.
A service of remembrance was held May 30, 2000, at the Blue Hill Congregational Church, Blue Hill, with the Rev. Robert McCall officiating. Those who wish may make contributions in Andy’s memory to George Stevens Academy, Blue Hill 04614. Arrangements are in the care of Jordan Funeral Home, Ellsworth.
Harry G. Merchant
WALTHAM and SEAL HARBOR - Harry G. Merchant, 72, died June 26, 2000, at a Mount Desert Island hospital. He was born July 19, 1927, in Seal Harbor, the son of Harry Morton and Blanche (Merchant) Merchant.
He was a gardener at the John D. Rockefeller Estate for many years and most recently had worked for 14 years at Hinckley Yacht Co. He was a former member of the Otter Creek Grange. He served his country in the U.S. Navy during World II.
He is survived by his beloved companion and best friend of 14 years, Beth Gilley; his former wife and mother of his children, Joyce Merchant of North Sullivan; two sons, Scott and his wife, Betty, of Northeast Harbor and Mathew and his wife, Annette, of Waltham; five daughters, Dale Buzzell of Bar Harbor, Donna Palmer and her husband, Robert, of Aurora, Beverly Merchant and her companion, Tyrone Hudson, of Sullivan, Myrna Brown of Newport, and Leilani Alley and her husband, David, of Northport; four brothers, Bo Merchant and George Merchant, both of Mount Desert, Tony Merchant of Connecticut and Albert Merchant of Bar Harbor; six sisters, Phyllis Walton, Vesta Gray, Evelyn Mitchell, Charlotte Leighton, Lydia Farley, all of Bar Harbor and Nancy Davis of Waltham; 24 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren; several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by a grandson, Shaun Michaud.
A graveside memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, June 30, 2000, at Seal Harbor Cemetery, with Pastor Buddy Frankland officiating. Friends who wish may make donations in Harry’s memory to Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main St., Bar Harbor. Arrangements by Fernald Funeral Chapel, Mount Desert.
Dorothy "Dodie" L. Kemske
COREA - Ret. Col. Dorothy "Dodie" L. Kemske, 79, died June 20, 2000, at an Ellsworth hospital. She was born May 10, 1921, in Minneapolis, Minn., the daughter of Herbert and Lydia (Poepple) Kemske.
She is survived by her beloved lifelong partner and friend, Jean M. Symonds of Corea, and a brother, Don "Mr. Wizard" Herbert and his wife, Norma, of Canoga Park, Calif., and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Betty Karl.
Dodie graduated from LaCrosse State College, Minn., with a BS in 1943. She went to the U.S. Army Physical Therapy School, graduating in 1946, and received her MA in education from Stanford University in June of 1958. She was chief physical therapist of the U.S. Army and dean of the Medical Field Service Physical Therapy School. She retired from the Army in September 1970 as a full colonel. She received numerous medals, including a World War II Victory Medal and an Army Commendation Medal. In 1971, she and Jean moved to Corea where they opened and ran the Harbor Grocery Store until 1980. She was a selectwoman in the Town of Gouldsboro for a number of years.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Friends who wish to may make donations in Dodie’s memory to the Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center, P.O. Box 918, Bangor 04402-0918 or the Eleanor Widener Dixon Memorial Clinic, HCR 35, Box 52, Gouldsboro 04607. Arrangements by Jordan Funeral Home, 113 Franklin St., Ellsworth.
Rowan Albert Wakefield
DEER ISLE - Rowan Albert Wakefield died peacefully in his sleep on April 24, 2000, at his home in Deer Isle. Rowan was born in Great Barrington, Mass., Oct. 5, 1919, the oldest of six children of Ernest Little and Veola Rowan Wakefield of Sheffield, Mass., and the grandson of Dr. Albert Harold Wakefield, the town’s country doctor.
After graduation from Berkshire School in Sheffield, where his father taught, Rowan graduated with an AB degree in political science from Williams College in 1942 and was immediately inducted into the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army. He was commissioned a second lieutenant at the Officer’s Candidate School, Camp Gordon, Ga., in 1943 and served in the European theater until 1946. Immediately after the war, he led a graves registration team in the Russian-occupied zone of Germany and was then discharged from the Army as a captain.
Rowan met Barbara O’Malley, daughter of Thomas O’Malley of Waltham, Mass., and Mildred O’Malley of Waltham and Deer Isle, while both were working for the U.S. Military Government for Germany in Berlin. The couple were married in Cambridge, Mass., in 1948. After teaming up with Barbara to write, take photographs, and publish "Seeing New England: Sheffield and Mt. Washington," Rowan joined the staff of the Berkshire Evening Eagle as a reporter, photographer, and occasional columnist in 1948.
In 1950 he took leave from the newspaper, and he and Barbara returned to Germany where Rowan had been hired to work for the U.S. Military Government in Bonn, Germany, with the economics division. Accompanying them was their son, Jeffrey, born in 1949. Their daughter, Dierdre, was born in Germany in 1952. They lived in the Bonn suburb of Bad Godesberg. They returned to the United States in 1952, and Rowan resumed his work with the Berkshire Evening Eagle, leaving it in 1954 when he was recruited by Headmaster John Godman to serve as director of development at Berkshire School in Sheffield. Their youngest child, Nicholas, was born in 1956 while they were at Berkshire.
Rowan’s career underwent many changes over the next 30 years, which can be summarized as follows: He was appointed director of public relations, then director of development at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. from 1957-60. In 1960 he joined the Kennedy Administration as staff assistant to Philip Coombs, assistant secretary of state for education and cultural affairs and then moved to the Agency for International Development, becoming head of the education division.
Rowan was then recruited by Samuel Gould, chancellor of the State University of New York, to set up and run the SUNY Washington office from 1964 to 1969. Rowan then joined the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies in Aspen, Colo., as executive vice president. After helping set up and run a cooperative project of the Aspen Institute, Educational Testing Service, and Institute for Educational Development in New York in 1971, Rowan moved back to Washington in 1972 to run his own management consulting company, Wakefield Washington Associates, which provided Washington representation for a variety of colleges and universities. At this company he founded, published, and served as editor for American Family, the national newsletter on family policy. He turned publication of American Family over to the Youth Policy Institute in 1984, when he and Barbara retired to Deer Isle, where Barbara’s mother was born and had lived.
In Deer Isle, Rowan helped found and served as president of the Island-Reach Computer Users’ Group from 1985 to 1989, when he was elected president of Island Heritage Trust, the conservation land trust of Deer Isle, Stonington, and surrounding islands. In 1992 he was awarded the Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s Heritage Award in recognition of his "outstanding work to protect Maine’s scenic, recreational, cultural, and ecological resources." He was active in the community up to the time of his death, serving as a board member of Memorial Ambulance Corps, an officer of SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, in Ellsworth, and a feature editor of Downeast Business Monthly.
Rowan is survived by his wife, Barbara, his children, Jeffrey, Dierdre, and Nicholas, and his sisters, Veola Platz and Helen Dunham.
A memorial service for Rowan will be held at the Congregational Church in Deer Isle, 1 p.m. June 17, 2000. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made to the Island Heritage Trust of Deer Isle.
Leo F. Bridges
DAMARISCOTTA - Leo F. Bridges, 88, died late in the evening on March 30, 2000, at Miles Memorial Hospital. born Feb. 4, 1912, in Sedgwick, he was a son of Lucius D. and Eva (Grindal) Bridges.
Following his public education, Leo graduated from Castine Normal School with a degree in education. He later continued his education at Farmington Normal School. He married the former Harriette Merrill, June 26, 1942.
He began his career teaching public school, where he remained for several years. He then went to work in the management at Clark Bottling Works, where he stayed for 22 years. Subsequently, he worked for many years in management at Diamond Match Co., and for 15 years was employed at Louis Doe Home Center, retiring just four years ago.
Leo was a longtime member of the Second Congregational Church, Newcastle, where he served on the Board of Deacons. He was a 60-year active member of the Anchor-Alna Lodge of Masons, Damariscotta. He served as Past Patron of (the former) Crystal Chapter OES No. 38 and was a present member of the Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club and a longtime member of the Retired Teachers Association.
Leo leaves his wife of 58 years of Damariscotta; one son, Peter L. Bridges of Waldoboro; one brother, Homer L. Bridges of Morrisville, Vt.; one granddaughter, Linda Bridges of Pemaquid; and several nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 8, 2000, at the Strong Funeral Home, Damariscotta, where his service will follow at 1 p.m, with the Rev. Mike Stevens officiating. He will be laid to rest at the Hillside Cemetery, Damariscotta. If desired, donations may be made to Miles Health Care Center, CLC Ambulance Service, or the Second Congregational Church in his memory.
