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

The practice dates back to the days of the sailing ships, when 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.

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.

• Emery G. Purslow ’56

  Deceased date: June 24, 2020
  Emery G. Purslow, 85, died after a lengthy illness, at his home in Hancock, Maine, on June 24, 2020, surrounded by family and friends. He was born on Sept. 6, 1934, in Nimes, France, the son of Donald Purslow and Marianne (Dumas) Purslow. He came to li…read more

• Joseph T. Robinson ’61

  Deceased date: June 23, 2020
  Joseph Thomas “Tom” Robinson, brother and friend, took his final sail into the sunset June 23, 2020. He passed peacefully and on his own terms. Tom spent much of his life on the water sailing and motoring. He loved women, dancing, cooking, his dogs…read more

• Fredric J. Kelley ’60

  Deceased date: June 21, 2020
  Fredric Kelley of Holland, Mich. passed away peacefully in the early morning on Sunday, June 21, 2020. He fought a courageous battle against pulmonary fibrosis and congestive heart failure. Fredric was born on December 6, 1939 in Grand Rapids to Bert a…read more

• Francis Piliere ’45

  Deceased date: June 19, 2020
  Francis "Frank" Piliere, 94 of Clifton Park, NY, died of natural causes on Monday, June 15, 2020, at his residence surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Manhattan on September 4, 1925, and was the son of the late Daniel and Josephine Marianna Pi…read more

• William P. Plummer ’72

  Deceased date: June 15, 2020
  William P. Plummer passed away at his home in Limington, Maine, June 15, 2020. He was the youngest son of the late Guy and Winifred Marean Plummer. Bill was a graduate of Maine Maritime, class of 1972. Bill was a marine engineer. His profession took hi…read more

• William F. Thompson ’46

  Deceased date: June 12, 2020
  William Foss Thompson, 93, son of the late William Laban Thompson and Mildred Foss Thompson of Boston, Massachusetts, and a more than half century summer resident of Southport, Maine, died June 12, 2020 due to complications from a fractured hip sustained …read more

• Ernest D. Allen III ’87

  Deceased date: June 2, 2020

  Ernest David Allen III, 60, of Morehead City, passed away Tuesday, June 2­, 2020, offshore while serving as the chief engineer on the Valaris Relentless.

  David was a graduate of West Carteret High School and M…read more

• Capt. Charles M. Hall ’56

  Deceased date: May 28, 2020
  SOUTH PORTLAND – Charles M. Hall, 84, passed away peacefully at home in South Portland, Maine, on May 28, 2020 after a 2-1/2-year battle with cancer. He was the son of Milton E. and Flora Hall Sr. and raised in Kittery, ME, with summers on Cedar Isla…read more

• Rodney J. McCaslin ’82

  Deceased date: May 25, 2020
  WINSLOW, Maine – Rodney John McCaslin, 61, passed away on Memorial Day, May 25, 2020 at Maine General Hospital in Augusta due to liver and kidney failure, with his beloved sister Barbara was by his side. During his hospital stay family and friends were …read more

• Harry E. Henderson, Jr. ’47

  Deceased date: May 18, 2020
  Harry Elmont Henderson, Jr., died on May 18, 2020, at Brooke Grove Retirement Village in Sandy Spring, Maryland. Born on September 26, 1927 in Augusta, Maine, Harry was 92. Harry was a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy and the University of Maine at O…read more