Noting the Lives of Others

I graduated from Maine Maritime Academy in 1966 with a degree in marine engineering. When I graduated, every engineer had at least three job offers because it was during the Vietnam era and they had more ships than personnel to man them.

I went to sea for about four years as an engineer for American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines. Then I worked as an operator at Maine Yankee nuclear plant, and from there to General Electric in various engineering jobs for almost 30 years until I retired.

Currently I live in Oaks, Pennsylvania with my wife of 50 years, Jean. Our kids are grown. I was involved in the volunteer fire company for a number of years, and Reading Railroad museum.
I always read the Eight Bells section of Mariner to see who has passed on. Wondering who may have been missed, I started searching for alumni who have crossed over the bar. I would look at the Portland Press Herald and then started using their search function for all states with the keyword “maritime.”

When I see an alum show up, I send the obit to the Alumni Office and to the Mariner editor for inclusion in the Eight Bells section of the magazine and the online Alumni page on the web.

(If I see my name, I’ll stop searching.)

Maine Maritime is not a big school so you get to be real close with your classmates. You maintain those relationships after school, especially as you get older.

It’s good to get together and tell sea stories and talk about family and what you’ve been doing. I attended my class 50th reunion in August, 2016.

What strikes me about reading the life stories of MMA alumni is how diversified their lives have become. MMA gives you a good foundation to do a lot of things.

You’re not afraid to take on a challenge and try something new.

Some spend their whole career at sea, while others go to sea for a short time, and next thing you know, they’re an airplane pilot, or in the insurance business, or they’re a lawyer now.

When asked how I would like to be remembered, it would be “He was a good person and he was IRISH!”█

— BY Dick Sullivan ’66­­­

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