The tradition of Eight Bells pays respect to deceased mariners and signifies that a sailor’s “watch” is over.
died October 1, 2019 at the age of 97. Hall was born, raised, and educated in Milo, Maine. He was a retired merchant marine captain, avid golfer, and enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening.
died November 11, 2019. Moody attended Phillips Academy, earned a Marine Engineering degree at MMA and a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University. He served in WWII as an engineer aboard Liberty ships in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Believing in local industry and as an entrepreneur based in Ballardvale, Massachusetts, he engineered a textile manufacturing plant and then transitioned into computer hardware manufacturing. Further responding to changing times, he went on to develop a rubber recycling facility. After a short run in production of industrial finishes, he turned to real estate and thrived in a 19-year career with his real estate and life partner Barbara. Moody spent weekends and extended retreats in Rangeley, Maine.
died September 11, 2019. In addition to MMA, he was a graduate of Bentley College. He served four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy. After the war Trafton lived in Massachusetts and began his career as an engineer, specializing in metallurgy. He worked for Bethlehem Steel in East Boston and then Reed and Prince in Worcester. He lived in New Hampshire 1977-1995 where he worked for Joy Manufacturing in Claremont. In 1995 he followed his heart back to Maine and the ocean. He treasured his trips to Swan’s Island to visit family. He volunteered for many years as a senior companion and served as town assessor.
died August 19, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia — the last surviving member of the Class of 1946. A proud veteran of the Merchant Marine, Bryant went to sea as a licensed marine engineer, visiting Japan and the Philippines. He attended the University of Maine, graduating in 1950 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. After two years active duty in the Navy, Hopkins worked for several manufacturing companies designing heavy power equipment, ship and textile machinery, and scanning electron beam microscopes. He was a professional engineer registered in Massachusetts and Maine. Hopkin’s main interests were family, books, ships and hiking. He was an active member of several churches over the decades, serving as a trustee and handyman, and singing bass in the choir.
died October 28 in Brunswick, Maine. After graduating from MMA he received a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maine in 1951. He was employed as a civil engineer in the fields of construction, papermaking and consulting engineering. “Oz” was hired as the first engineer at Cianchette Brothers/Cianbro in Pittsfield, Maine and ended his career as President of Kleinschmidt Associates, also in Pittsfield. In between he spent many years at Scott Paper Company and Keyes Fibre Company. In his work for Keyes, he oversaw construction of numerous plants across the United States, from Albertville, Alabama to Wenatchee, Washington, with a few stops in between. Oz was a proud officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve for 30 years and retired as a captain. An accomplished woodworker, Oz spent many hours in his backyard shop constructing boats, canoes, furniture and in his later years, dozens of clocks. As Oz liked to say, “Engineers always know the right moment.”
died October 2, 2019. After graduating from MMA Gendron was employed as a merchant mariner for Sun Oil in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. He served during the Korean War as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. After his military service, he was employed as a safety engineer for insurance companies in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Syracuse, New York. In 1978, he returned to Biddeford and was employed by Hanover Insurance in Portland, retiring in 1993. During retirement, he was a consultant for Acadia Insurance Company and a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers. Golf was his passion and Gendron was a member of the Dutch Elm Golf Club for more than 30 years.
died March 11, 2019 in Providence, Rhode Island. He was the husband of Betty L. Goff. Born in Providence, he was a son of the late Luther and Eva Goff. After graduating from MMA, he served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He was the owner and operator of the Goff Company, which designed electrical systems for yachts.
died June 23, 2019 in Branford, Connecticut. Lamond met Margaret Poulin at Pat’s Pizza in Orono while he as a marine engineering student at MMA and she was a nursing student in Bangor. They were married in 1952 and lived in Guilford, Connecticut where they raised four children. Lamond served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Following his service, Lamond sailed as a merchant marine out of New York City. He finished his career with more than 40 years as a field engineer for General Electric Company. Bill and Betty loved to travel together visiting the islands, fished in Alaska, golfed in Scotland to name a few adventures.
died October 2, 2019. After MMA, he went on the maiden voyage of the SS Excalibur and he served as a lieutenant and Chief Engineer in the U.S. Navy on the USS O’Hare. After leaving the Navy he worked as a nuclear test engineer until he was hired by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission as a water engineer where he worked until his retirement. Lessels was a loving husband, father and grandfather. When he retired he enjoyed riding his Honda Goldwing motorcycle and taking care of his home and small farm.
died April 6, 2019. He was in the Merchant Marine from 1952 to 1954 and then joined the U.S. Navy to become a fighter jet pilot. One of the biggest joys of Smallidge’s life was flying jets off of aircraft carriers, flying to other countries or “buzzing” Somes Sound. “Niffie” loved to fly fast. He was offered an opportunity to fly as a Blue Angel but declined so he could remain with his family. After he retired from the Navy, he was employed by Marine Hydraulics International in Norfolk, Virginia for 20 years. In 2005, he retired to Pretty Marsh, returning to his roots in Mt. Dessert Island. Niffie had many loves on this Earth but the greatest of all was his wife of 63 years, Helen. Niffie and Helen grew up together in Pretty Marsh riding the school bus together and reconnected in their 20s. They raised three girls while living in Texas, Florida and Virginia.
died September 24, 2019. After graduating from MMA, he served in the Merchant Marine and was a U. S. Navy veteran. Walker then worked at Bethlehem Steel in Massachusetts where he met his wife Barbara. In 1978, he founded Marine Hydraulics International, Inc. (MHI) in Chesapeake, Virginia, which he later sold to his employees. He also founded Ocean Marine Yacht Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. He served on the MMA Board of Trustees. He was a proud patriot who loved boating, automobiles, crossword puzzles, and watching NASCAR and football. Walker was a humble man with impeccable principles.
died September 21, 2019 in East Lyme, Connecticut. Born in Bar Harbor, Smallidge, known as “Ting,” was raised in his ancestral home in Northeast Harbor. Following graduation, he enlisted as an officer in the U.S. Navy before leaving for employment as a merchant mariner sailing globally. He and Dorie settled in East Lyme, enabling him to share his love of natural spaces with his family. He served as a math teacher at East Lyme High School in 1967. Smallidge organized and, for many years, coached the East Lyme crew program. He taught celestial navigation and sailing. He worked summers as captain of several passenger sailing schooners out of Mystic. Upon his retirement, they continued sailing their sloop Medric, gunkholing along the coast and cruising the New England coast.
died March 25, 2019 in Panama City Beach, Florida. Cuzzupoli had more than 40 years of experience in aerospace engineering and management. He began his career with General Dynamics as Launch Director, and then became Manager of Manufacturing/Engineering and Director of Test Operations for Rockwell International. Cuzzupoli managed the building and testing of Apollo 6, Apollo 8, Apollo 9, and Apollo 12. He later became Rockwell’s Vice President of Operations and then Vice President and Program Manager for the Space Shuttle Orbiter Project. Cuzzupoli left Rockwell in 1980 and consulted on various aerospace projects for NASA centers until 1991 when he joined American Pacific Corporation as Senior Vice President. He later worked for Kistler Aerospace, where he was responsible for design and production of the K-1 reusable launch vehicle. He also had a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Connecticut and a Certificate of Management/Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
died August 11, 2019 in Augusta, Maine. After graduation, Hanson served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and Reserves until 1966. He worked at the Socony Mobile Oil Corporation as a junior engineer in the marine resources division. He also taught marine engineering at MMA and always enjoyed working at his alma mater. He was employed by Central Maine Power Company and retired as the vice president for production and operations after 30 years. He was active with the MSAD 16 school board, serving as its chairman 12 times.
died November 21, 2019, at his home on Great Moose Lake, Maine. Mac graduated from MMA with a B.S. in Nautical Science and made his career with Cianbro Corporation; a company founded by his father. Mac officially joined the Cianbro ranks after his graduation from MMA and retired after 44 years of dedicated service in a variety of senior management roles. Mac served on the Cianbro Board of Directors for 18 years until the time of his death, as well as the MMA Alumni Association Board of Directors and numerous other professional organizations over the course of his career. Mac loved working with people and was often sought out by his business partners for advice and counsel. His success in his career, and in his life, was attributed to his calm and fair demeanor, and that he treated everyone he knew with the upmost dignity and respect.
died December 22, 2018 in Galveston, Texas. He attended Augusta Military Academy in Staunton, Virginia and then MMA where he earned a B.S degree in Nautical Science. He completed his M.S. degree in Maritime Management from MMA in 1987. He worked at Getty Oil on tankers and Interstate and Ocean Transport (later SONAT) as a captain on tugs, for Moran Towing, and Hornbeck Offshore. He entered teaching in higher education at MMA to start the first tug and tow program of its type in the U.S He also taught at the Harry Lundeburg School of Seamanship at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Texas A&M, initiating and teaching their tug and towing program.
died August 12, 2019. After graduating college, he served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Daley spent most of his career in the IT business, but loved working with his hands and doing home projects or construction work. His friends and family will remember Daley’s charismatic personality and smile. He was passionate about sports and was a founding member of the annual Portsmouth High School Alumni hockey game. Daley participated in the Skate for the 22 Foundation, to bring awareness to suicide prevention for military veterans.
If you learn of the passing of an 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.
A complete listing of Eight Bells can be found at mainemaritime.edu/mariners-forever/category/eight-bells/.
