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Eight Bells

The practice of using bells stems from the days of the sailing ships. Sailors couldn't afford to have their own time pieces and relied on the ship's bells to tell time. The ship's boy kept time by using a half-hour glass. Each time the sand ran out, he would turn the glass over and ring the appropriate number of bells. Each ship “watch” is four hours, or eight bells, in length.

The tradition of Eight Bells pays respect to deceased mariners and signifies that a sailor's “watch” is over.

Submissions for Eight Bells

If you learn of the passing of a MMA classmate, associate, friend or family member, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations so that we may include the information in our Eight Bells listings. Send obituaries or their digital links to alumni@mma.edu.

  • Eliot W. Denault ’46

    Deceased date: July 30, 2015
    Eliot Warden Denault, also known as Peter, 89, of Delray Beach, FL, died Thursday, July 30, 2015, surrounded by family at his vacation home in Jamestown, RI. Mr. Denault was born March 11, 1926, in Boston, MA, the son of the late Eliot W. and Marcia (Bart…read more

  • Bruce R. Poliquin ’72

    Deceased date: July 27, 2015
    AUBURN- Bruce Ronald Poliquin, 66, went to Heaven to join many loved ones there waiting for him on Sunday July 26, 2015. Bruce, the oldest of four children, was born on April 5, 1949 to Rudy and Georgette (Giguere) Poliquin in Lewiston, Maine. He gr…read more

  • William Leavitt ’49

    Deceased date: July 20, 2015
    PORTLAND - William (Bill) Leavitt was born on May 5, 1928, to Ruth and Ralph Leavitt, of Stroudwater, Portland. He was named after his great-grandfather, Capt. William Leavitt, aptly as the ocean and particularly Portland's waterfront became an indelible …read more

  • Mark J. Hellen ’75

    Deceased date: July 17, 2015
    PORTLAND - Mark Joseph Hellen, 63, the best man known to mankind, departed this world on Friday, July 17, 2015, while away on business in Manchester, N.H. Mark was born on May 10, 1952, the son of Eleanor Johnson Hellen and Robert "Yogi" Hellen. He gradua…read more

  • Robert E. Canavan ’47

    Deceased date: July 14, 2015
    WATERVILLE - Robert Eaton Canavan (Spanky) passed away peacefully on June 14, 2015, at Eastern Maine Medical Center. He was born in Waterville on Nov. 10, 1927, the son of Richard and Nina (Corr) Canavan. Robert graduated from Waterville High School and …read more

  • Jeffrey A. McMann ’69

    Deceased date: July 12, 2015
    WESTBROOK - Jeffrey Albert McMann, 68, died Sunday, July 12 peacefully in his sleep in Wisconsin, where he has resi…read more

  • Thomas H. Cook ’85

    Deceased date: July 4, 2015
    SEBAGO - As peacefully and quickly as Tom entered this world on March 13, 1962, on his mother's birthday, at the Chelsea Naval Hospital, Thomas exited it just as peacefully and quickly at home on the morning of July 4, 2015, as he went to sleep holding th…read more

  • Bruce W. Arnold ’65

    Deceased date: June 20, 2015
    STRATTON, ME- Bruce W. Arnold, 72 of Stratton Maine Passed away Saturday the 20th of June at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington Maine. He is survived by his daughter Christina Stone and her husband Barry Stone of Waldfischbach-Burglaben, Germany, gr…read more

  • Robert E. Canavan ’47

    Deceased date: June 14, 2015

    WATERVILLE - Robert Eaton Canavan (Spanky) passed away peacefully on June 14, 2015, at Eastern Maine Medical Center. He was born in Waterville on Nov. 10, 1927, the son of Richard and Nina (Corr) Canavan.

    Robert gradua…read more

  • James Edwards Whelan ’44

    Deceased date: June 4, 2015

    SACO - Dr. J. Edward Whelan, 92, a lifelong resident of Biddeford-Saco, former mayor of Saco and proud father and grandfather, died on June 4, 2015.

    Born in Biddeford on Dec. 8, 1922 to M. Harry and Cecelia Cleary …read more