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.

• Frederick M. Conti ’44

  Deceased date: December 6, 2015
  WINDHAM - Frederick M. Conti, of Windham, died on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015, following a brief illness, surrounded by his wife Viola and his loving family. Fred was born on January 25, 1921. He graduated from Portland High School where he was a varsity swimmer…read more

• Philip J. Adams ’43-1

  Deceased date: November 28, 2015
  July 25, 1920 - November 28, 2015 Resident of Danville Philip J. Adams was born and raised in Bangor, Maine and was the son of Benjamin F. Adams and Grace Russell Adams. He became a member of the first class of the Maine Maritime Academy, traditionally…read more

• Carl L. Cross II ’83

  Deceased date: November 4, 2015

  PALMYRA - Carl L. Cross II, 54, went to live with the lord on Wednesday November 4th 2015. He was born in Hartland to Carl L. Cross I and Judy (Webber) Cross on December 15th 1960.

  Carl graduated from Nokomis and lived …read more

• Richard D. Counter ’62

  Deceased date: October 31, 2015
  Richard “Dick” Counter passed away on 31 October 2015 at home from complications of mesothelioma. Born in Chicago, he graduated from New Mexico Military Institute and then Maine Maritime Academy serving his class as Executive Officer of the Class of …read more

• Douglas S. Glenn ’64

  Deceased date: October 29, 2015
  Capt. Douglas Smith Glenn graduated from the Maine Maritime Academy in 1964 after attending high school at the Admiral Farragut Academy in Pine Beach, NJ. Born in Mineola, NY and raised in Hillsdale, New Jersey. Doug came from a family with a nautical hi…read more

• Dennis M. Legere ’83

  Deceased date: October 28, 2015

  SANFORD - Dennis M. Legere, 54, a longtime resident of Sanford, passed away in Biddeford on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015.

  He was born in Sanford on March 19, 1961, a son of Paul and Pauline (Roux) Legere.

  Dennis graduated from Sanford High …read more

• Douglas E. Bryant ’66

  Deceased date: October 27, 2015
  Eliot- Douglas Elliott Bryant, 72 passed away October 27, 2015 at the Monarch Center in Saco, Maine after struggling many years with Parkinson's Disease and its complications. Doug was born August 6, 1943 in Portsmouth New Hampshire to the late Herbert J…read more

• F. Neal Dow ’49

  Deceased date: October 24, 2015
  Groton - F. Neal Dow, 86, of Groton, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, at Fairview in Groton. He was born in N…read more

• Ralph Hayden III ’61

  Deceased date: October 13, 2015
  Ralph Hayden III, 76, of Joppa, MD passed away on October 13, 2015 at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium. Born in Boston, MA, he was the son of the late Ralph Hayden Jr. and Margaret (Brooks) Hayden, and husband of the late Margaret Anne Hayden. Mr. Hayden …read more

• Joseph W. Carr ’52

  Deceased date: October 13, 2015

  CUSHING - Joseph W. Carr, 84, died Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at Windward Gardens in Camden. Joe's life began at the Stinson Hospital in Bangor on January 27, 1931.

  During his sophomore ye…read more