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.

• Thomas Rush III ’64

  Deceased date: February 10, 2024
  Bar Harbor - Thomas Rush III, 82, died February 10, 2024, at home surrounded by his loving family. They are deeply saddened by the loss of their husband, dad, and papa. Tom was born July 18, 1941, in Weymouth, MA…read more

• Capt. William K. Banks USN(Ret.) ’56

  Deceased date: January 13, 2024
  Captain William Kenneth Banks, 89, passed away on January 13, 2024. He was born on August 12, 1934. William attended Bangor High School and Maine Maritime Academy. He served in the United States Navy.…read more

• Neal P. McPhee ’65

  Deceased date: December 25, 2023

  Neal Perley “Nick” McPhee, age 83, passed away Christmas morning, Dec. 25, 2023.

  Born Nov. 10, 1940 in Boothbay, Maine, Nick was part of a long legacy of Boothbay families. His grandfather, Perley “Pearl” McPhee was …read more

• Gregory D. Hall ’81

  Deceased date: December 20, 2023
  BELFAST — The family of Gregory Daniel Hall, 64, regrets to announce his untimely passing on Dec. 20, 2023, at his home.

  Greg was born on March 16, 1959, in Belfast to Da…read more

• Glenn A. Gould ’72

  Deceased date: December 18, 2023
  Glenn Alan Gould passed away after a long illness on December 18, 2023 in Suffield, Conn. Glenn was born August 8th, 1949, in Boston, Mass. to John and Grace (Manes) Gould. He was the youngest of four children. Glenn was known for his athleticism. He was …read more

• Stephen A. Rowland ’86

  Deceased date: December 17, 2023
  Stephen A. Rowland of Turner, Maine passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, at the age of 59. He graduated from Jay High School, after which he would go on to play football at Maine Maritime Academy while earning his Bachelors in Mechanical …read more

• Jonathan Seth Barrows ’94

  Deceased date: December 8, 2023
  Jonathan Seth Barrows, 51, a resident of Farm Road in Arlington, Vermont, passed away unexpectedly at his home on December …read more

• Deane E. Deshon ’53

  Deceased date: December 2, 2023
  Deane Ellis Deshon, son of the late Mellen C. Deshon and Josephine Griffin Deshon, died unexpectedly on December 2 at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del. He was 91 years old. Born on Aug. 9, 1932, in Damariscotta, Maine, Deane was active in athletics a…read more

• G. Edward Walsh ’69

  Deceased date: November 28, 2023
  Columbia Falls - George Edward Walsh was born in Castine, Maine, June 30, 1947, to William H. and Virginia (Murphy) Walsh. Ed passed away peacefully at his home in Columbia Falls, Maine, November 28, 2023. After a…read more

• Charles E. Sundheim ’65

  Deceased date: November 19, 2023

  Charles Edward Sundheim, 80, of Byram, New Jersey, passed away on Sunday, November 19, 2023 at home surrounded by his family.

  read more