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Eight Bells

The practice of using bells stems from the days of the sailing ships. 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.

The tradition of Eight Bells pays respect to deceased mariners and signifies that a sailor's “watch” is over.

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.

  • Charles A. Kilby ’49

    Deceased date: January 10, 2018
    NEWPORT, MAINE - Charles Alden Kilby, 89, died on January 10, 2018. He was born on October 13, 1928, in South Portland, a son of Henry and Irene (Hannaford) Kilby. He graduated from the Maine Maritime Academy, Class of 1949, and served in the Merchant Ma…read more

  • John F. Scala ’53

    Deceased date: January 9, 2018
    ROCHESTER - John "Pete" Scala, 86, of Rochester passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 with his family by his side after a brief illness. Born in Boston, Mass., Pete was the son of the late Michael F. Scala Sr. and Mary Scrima. He graduated…read more

  • Roger B.Walters ’65

    Deceased date: January 4, 2018
    Roger B. Walters, 74, of Dade City, FL and formerly of Hooksett, NH, passed away at his residence in FL on January 4, 2018. He was born in Peabody, MA on July 17, 1943, son of the late Alfred and Rosa (Hitchman) Walters. Roger was a graduate of Maine M…read more

  • Donald W. O’Brien ’56

    Deceased date: January 1, 2018
    WILTON, NY - Donald W. "OB" O'Brien, 82, of Woodlake Dr., passed away Monday morning, January 1, 2018 at his home. Born on April 4, 1935 in Bingham, Maine, he was the son of the late Rodney and Louise (Cunningham) O'Brien. He was a graduate of Maine Ma…read more

  • Brian T. Sullivan ’66

    Deceased date: December 27, 2017
    Brian T. Sullivan, 73, of Bailey Island, Maine, formerly of Waterford, Conn., passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family on Dec. 27, 2017. Brian was born in Hartford, Conn. on Dec. 26, 1944, the son of John and Teresa Sullivan. He attended…read more

  • John H. McQuillan ’53

    Deceased date: December 27, 2017
    John Howard McQuillan, 87, of Winslow, Maine, passed from this life to the next on Wednesday December 27, 2017 at his home without his wife's p…read more

  • Capt. Raleigh Blanchard ’81

    Deceased date: December 22, 2017
    FREEPORT - Captain Raleigh Thomas "Tom" Blanchard III, 59, of The Wood-lands, Texas, and Freeport, Maine, passed away Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, after a 30-year battle with lymphoma. Tom was born in Poca-tello, Idaho, Nov. 16, 1958, to Bennie (Taylor) Blanch…read more

  • Capt. William L. Bullard ’59

    Deceased date: December 20, 2017
    William Lloyd Bullard, 80, of Ketchikan and Plympton, Massachusetts, died Dec. 20, 2017, in Plympton after a brief illness. He was born June 14, 1937, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, to William and Janet Lloyd Bullard. He graduated in 1956 from Hingham Hi…read more

  • Francis W. Mayo ’54

    Deceased date: December 19, 2017
    Francis W. "Frank" Mayo, 86, of Turner, Maine, died Dec. 19, 2017 at the Maine Veterans Home in South Paris. He was born on Apr. 21, 1931, in Lewiston, a son of Walter and Bernice (St. Thomas) Mayo. He attended Sanford Springvale schools and went on to…read more

  • Philip B. Hatch, Jr. ’56

    Deceased date: December 16, 2017
    Sterling, MA – Philip B. Hatch Jr. 82, of Portland passed away peacefully on December 16, 2017 at his daughter's house in Massachusetts. He was born in Portland, ME on October 30, 1935 the son of Philip B. and Phyllis (Crangle) Hatch Sr. He graduated…read more