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.

• Horatio C. Cowan Jr. ’46

  Deceased date: May 9, 2019
  CAMDEN — Horatio Cushing Cowan Jr., 93, passed away peacefully May 8, 2019, at Quarry Hill. Born in Bangor May 1, 1926, he was the son of Horatio and Vanessa Cowan. Horatio (Ratio) grew up in Rockland and was a gradua…read more

• Edward L. Mossman ’50

  Deceased date: May 7, 2019
  SOUTH BERWICK, Maine - Edward L. Mossman, 90, died Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at his home surrounded by his loving family after a short illness. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts on December 20, 1928, he was the son of Guy Eldred and Dorothea Llewellyn Mossman. …read more

• Wayne L. Crowley ’57

  Deceased date: May 6, 2019
  WAYNE - Wayne Crowley, 83, passed away peacefully at his home with his family at his side on May 6, 2019. Wayne was born in Downeast Maine in the town of Addison on Feb. 22, 1936, the first born child of Lawrence "Bill" and Gladys (Plummer) Crowley. Way…read more

• G. Raymond Mansfield, Jr. ’49

  Deceased date: May 4, 2019
  Rochester, NH- Gurdon Raymond Mansfield, Jr. 90. of 11 Susan Lane died Saturday May 4, 2019 at Frisbie Memorial Hospital surrounded by his family. He was born May 29, 1928 in Haverhill, MA the son of the late Gurdon Raymond Mansfield, Sr. and Mary (Fello…read more

• Russell V. Rowe ’66

  Deceased date: April 19, 2019
  Russell V. Rowe, 74, of Georgetown, MA, died peacefully on April 19, 2019, surrounded by his wife, daughters, and sons-in-laws, after battling multiple chronic illnesses for many years. Russell was the son of the late Vineal and Ella Rowe. He leaves behi…read more

• Timothy C. Pickering ’07

  Deceased date: April 13, 2019
  Timothy C. Pickering, 42, of Salem, MA passed away from pancreatic cancer on Saturday, April 13th at the Kaplan Hospice House in Danvers, MA. Tim was born and raised in Marblehead, MA. He was active in Marblehead Youth Hockey and played both hockey and l…read more

• Robert L. Smallidge ’52

  Deceased date: April 6, 2019
  Niffie Smallidge, 87, peacefully went home to be with the Lord on April 6, 2019. Niffie was born on Aug. 25, 1931, in Somesville, and was the son of Lewis and Mazie (Brown) Smallidge. Niffie grew up on Mount Desert Island thoroughly loving “his Island.…read more

• Lucien L. Dumont Jr. ’64

  Deceased date: April 6, 2019
  Lucien passed at his Florida home in Sebastian, FL on April 6, 2019 at the age of 77. The son of Phyllis A. Perry Dumont, and Lucien Dumont, Sr. he was born in Portland, Maine on Nov. 17th, 1941. Lou is predeceased by his mother, father, and Richard his b…read more

• Capt. Lucienne Litchfield ’83

  Deceased date: April 3, 2019
  Lucienne Litchfield was born in Pensecola, Florida on August 22, 1955. She died unexpectedly in Olympia, Washington on April 3, 2019 at the age of 63. She served for many years as an officer in the Merchant Marines. She has lived the last 15 years in Olym…read more

• Earl U. Morin ’56

  Deceased date: March 29, 2019
  Earl Ulric Morin, 83, passed away peacefully Friday morning March 29, 2019. Known as "Earl the Pearl" by those who knew and loved him, he courageously suffered from Alzheimer's disease …read more