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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.

  • Peter S. Johnson ’94

    Deceased date: December 9, 2017
    PJ Johnson of Portsmouth, NH passed on from this life on December 9, 2017. PJ was the loving and proud father of Katie, Maggy and Zachary Johnson of Kittery Point, Maine. Raised in Tenafly, N.J. PJ spent his youth playing ice hockey, lacrosse and crew …read more

  • Capt. Cornelius V. Spillane III ’75

    Deceased date: December 7, 2017
    Cornelius Spillane III, born in Kittery, Maine and longtime resident of Huntsville, Alabama, passed away peacefully on Thursday at the age of 66. He is survived by his wife, Jill Spillane; sons Collin Spillane and Neil Spillane; his brother, Sean Spill…read more

  • Darryl E. Hagar ’85

    Deceased date: November 29, 2017
    Darryl Edward Hagar, 54, passed away Nov. 29. Born on April 2, 1963, Darryl grew up in Nobleboro and graduated from Lincoln Academy in 1981. He was a proud alumnus of Maine Maritime Academy, where he graduated in 1985 with a degree in maritime navigati…read more

  • Albert V. Werner III ’68

    Deceased date: November 25, 2017
    Albert Vincent "Skip" Werner III, 72, passed away at his home on Nov. 25, 2017. On May 11, 1945, a record-setting snowstorm announced the birth of a strikingly extraordinary man, son of the late Albert and Kathleen (Slattery) Werner. At age 7, Skip rec…read more

  • Carlton F. Edgecomb ’73

    Deceased date: November 14, 2017
    Carlton 'Carl' Fuller Edgecomb, 67, passed away on November 14, 2017, at home, with his family by his side, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Bangor, on June 25, 1950, son of Walter C. and Mary (Ranney) Edgecomb, Sr. Carlton was a …read more

  • Robert B. Rhoads ’45

    Deceased date: November 2, 2017
    OLD TOWN - Robert B. Rhoads, 92, passed away November 2, 2017, at his home, surrounded by his family. He was born in Portland, July 24, 1925, the son of Michael Loving Rhoads and Cornelia Elizabeth (King) Rhoads. Bob lost his parents at the age of 17 …read more

  • William C. Pollard ’66

    Deceased date: October 30, 2017
    YARMOUTH - William Curtis "Bill" Pollard, 74, passed away peacefully Oct. 30, 2017, at his residence. Bill was born in Portland on Oct. 1, 1943, the son of Althea Curtis, of West Paris, and Joseph Edwin Pollard, of Norwich, Conn. He grew up on Greenwa…read more

  • West N. Ruroede ’83

    Deceased date: October 21, 2017
    Longtime Greenport resident West Needham Ruroede died Oct. 21. He was 58.  The son of Vance A. Wilson and Carol J. (Needham) Ruroede, he was born March 31, 1959, in San Francisco. Mr. Ruroede graduated from Greenport Hi…read more

  • Scott A. Kilian ’10

    Deceased date: October 15, 2017
    Scott Andrew Kilian, 29, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, husband of Sondra Skipper Kilian, died suddenly at home on Sunday, October 15, 2017. Scott was born October 29, 1987 in Morristown, New Jersey, son of Ann McCreary Kilian and the late Mark H. …read more

  • Richard S. Morris ’67

    Deceased date: October 11, 2017
    Richard “Dick” S. Morris Sr., of Westport Island, Maine, passed away with his family by his side, on October 11, 2017. He was born in Bath on April 27, 1944, a son of A. Stanley and Marjolaine Morris. Dick was originally from Wiscasset, Maine and grad…read more