People We've Lost

Captain Winston B. Shaw, Lorraine Stanley Hitchcock, Granville Eugene Walls, Jr., Ruth Foster

Jun 08, 2025

Note: “People We’ve Lost” is a feature of the Bar Harbor Story where we share obituaries of people that the island lost in the previous 1-2 weeks. We’re doing this because we think everyone deserves to be remembered. If you have an obituary for a loved one or friend that you can’t afford to place in other spaces, please let us know and we’ll share it here for you.

Captain Winston B. Shaw

Bar Harbor

Captain Winston B. Shaw of Mount Desert Island passed away April 17, 2025, at MDI Hospital, Bar Harbor. He was born June 27, 1946, second son to Malcolm T. and Phyllis C. Shaw in South Weymouth, Mass.

The family soon moved to Plymouth, then to Halifax, Mass. Winston finished his education there, graduating from Silverlake High School in 1964. He joined VISTA soon after and was sent to Texas and New Mexico. While covering the student strike at the University of New Mexico, Winston discovered his flair for photography and journalism.

In the early 1970s, he traveled to California’s bay area and spent three years there traveling, learning new crafts, and making lifelong friends. He returned to Mass. in the ’70s and then followed his brother Wesley to MDI in the mid-1980s and never left. He brought with him his passions for boating and photography. He also brought a very difficult case of diabetes, which greatly complicated his outdoor life.

Not one to give up, he introduced sea kayaking, a west coast sport, to New England and later launched Sea Venture Boat Tours in Bar Harbor in 1994, which he ran for 20 years. Winston was asked to serve on the town’s harbor committee for several years and then to help create Bar Harbor Project 2000.

Winston’s most meaningful accomplishment was single-handedly collecting, within a 3-day time limit, 1,500 signatures required to present a bill to the Maine legislature. His bill was designed to stop people from disturbing and feeding Maine’s seriously endangered bald eagles. Winston’s bill failed the first vote 11 votes to 1. His second attempt saw a reversal and passed 11 votes to 1. Winston proved himself to be a highly accomplished wildlife researcher. Maine’s bald eagles began to rebound and were eventually removed from the endangered species list.

Winston was predeceased by both parents, as well as brothers Wesley A. Shaw and Wayne C. Shaw. He leaves his wife, Joyce Grindle Shaw, and stepchildren Jane T. Couch and David J. Coston.

Graveside services to be held at 1 p.m. June 27 at Brookside Cemetery.

Lorraine Stanley Hitchcock

Manset

Lorraine Stanley Hitchcock passed away at the age of 81 on May 24, 2025, at a Brookdale assisted living facility in Punta Gorda Isle in Florida.

Lorraine was born Aug. 29, 1943, in New Sweden, Maine, the daughter of Malcolm Wayne Stanley and Anna Quist Stanley. She grew up in Manset and graduated from Pemetic High School, and a few years later, she met and married Alan “Spike” Hitchcock, who was also from Manset. She went on to earn an LPN license and worked at BMHI along with Spike, who was a psychiatrist, for many years. They lived in Orrington, Camden and after Spike retired, they settled on MDI. Lorraine continued working, first at Hinckley Boat Yard and then Bass Harbor Marine. After Lorraine retired, they moved to Florida, where Lorraine had many hobbies: tennis, boating, volunteering at a bird sanctuary, and taking care of her dogs. They spent many years on the ocean sailing off the New England Coast, Florida Coast, and to many destinations in the Caribbean.

Lorraine was a big sister to 5 girls and 3 boys, that was probably the biggest challenge of her life.

Lorraine was predeceased by her husband, her parents, sisters Joyce Mahler and Beatrice Desjardins, also known as Bubbles, and brothers Larry and Richard. She is survived by her brother John and his wife Linda, sisters Nancy and her husband Sherman Stanley, Rita Baldwin and her husband Dave Kelley and Janet Stanley and many nieces and nephews.

At Lorraine's request, there will be no service.

In memory of Lorraine, donations may be made to the Southwest Harbor Public Library, 338 Main Street, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679 or to the SPCA of Hancock County, 141 Bar Harbor Road, Trenton, ME 04605.

Granville Eugene Walls, Jr

Manset

Granville Eugene Walls, Jr., 99, died peacefully at his home in Manset on June 1, 2025. “Gene” was born on November 16, 1925, in Seal Cove to Granville Eugene and Lurlene (Rumill) Walls.

Gene graduated in 1944 from Pemetic High School and soon enlisted into the Navy. He was in the Pacific Theatre on the ship, USS Freestone, APA 57. Gene did multiple trips to Manila in the Phillipines and to Okinawa. After the surrender of Japan, his ship entered Tokyo Harbor, and he witnessed the devastation of Nagasaki. He made several trips back to the U.S. to bring back troops. On his last trip they transited the Panama Canal and disembarked in Virginia.

Once home, Gene acquired the skills of a boat builder and supervised the crew as they built lobster and pleasure boats. They built one small tugboat “Little Toot” for Gary Moore and it made national TV one evening. Gene’s name is prominently mentioned in the pages of Boatbuilding on Mount Desert Island. After several decades, Gene transitioned into custom building. He built many houses around MDI. He was known for his craftmanship. He enjoyed building furniture and punts during his free time for his children, grandchildren and friends.

In 1954 Gene married Betty Tate and moved to Manset. They had three children: Laraine, Allan and Susan. In 1977, Gene married Marjorie “Peggy” Trask Holt. They were married until Peggy’s death in 2018. Gene built a camp on Long Pond where he and Peggy enjoyed summers and falls entertaining family and friends. Gene enjoyed boat rides on the Pond and teaching the grandkids how to water ski. Periodically the porch became a barber shop when his brother-in-law, Chick Bond, would come over and they would cut each other’s hair. Gene had the more demanding part of that arrangement as Chick had a full head of hair and well, Gene was close to being bald.

After selling the camp in 2013, Gene and Peggy enjoyed a few cruises and road trips, often with Gene’s sister, Eleanor, and her husband Gene Brown.

Gene’s favorite past times were watching the MDI High School basketball games, the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics games and he was an avid reader of history books. He was a member of the American Legion.

Gene is survived by his daughter, Laraine (Walls) Wade and her husband, Dennis of Greenfield, MA and Stonington; son, Allan Walls and partner Marnie Saunders of Bar Harbor; Susan (Walls) Jackson and her husband, Lee of Oakfield; step-daughters Deborah (Holt) Terreault of Seal Harbor and Wanda (Holt) Fernald and her husband, Stephen of Mount Desert,; 11 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Gene was predeceased by his wife, Peggy, stepson, David Holt and sisters Eleanor Brown and Betty Fernald..

Friends are invited to visit with the family from 3-4 p.m., June 12, 2025, at Jordan-Fernald, 1139 Maine St., Mt. Desert where a memorial service will follow at 4 p.m. with a short reception to follow. Interment will be at Hillrest Cemetery, West Tremont.

The family wish to thank Gene’s exceptional and dedicated caregivers, who have assisted Gene these past few years: Alice Fernald, Julie DeRaps, Chhiring Lama, Ruth Falt, Tricia Pope and Stacy Elliott. Also, thank you to Beacon Hospice (Christy, Chrystal, Wendy, Charla and Jack) for their support and guidance.

The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the William Searls Scholarship at The First National Bank, PO Box 86, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679 and/or the American Legion, PO Box 1022, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679.

Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com

Ruth Foster

Ellsworth

Ruth S. Foster, 96, died peacefully at her home in Ellsworth on June 2, 2025. She was born on April 18, 1929, in Machias, the daughter of John F. and Edith P. (Meserve) Sullivan.

She spent her youth living in Machias and later Ellsworth, graduating from Ellsworth High School in 1946. Ruth was a former Republican Senator, the first female mayor of Ellsworth, and a business owner. She was in the Maine House for 10 years and the Senate for 4 years. She was a force to be reckoned with. She was honest, a good listener and a tireless advocate for all the causes she supported. Ruth received many awards for her service over the years. She was the first female member of the Board of Directors of Bar Harbor Bankshares and Bar Harbor Bank and Trust (1986-2004), and also the first female president of The Black House (Woodlawn) in Ellsworth. Ruth owned and operated Ruth Foster's children's shop for 35 years. Ruth made many dear friends over the years and has left a lasting impression on the community she served and people whose lives she has touched.

Ruth is survived by her daughters, Jennifer F. Libby of Bangor, and Jacquelyn S. Dearborn and husband, Joel Sr., of Holden; grandsons, Joel "Jay" Dearborn Jr. and wife, Nisha, of Yarmouth, and Jonathan S. Dearborn and wife, Toni Ann, of Scarborough; and great-grandchildren, Kavya Dearborn, Kiran Dearborn, Ellie Dearborn, and Emmie Dearborn. Along with her parents, she was predeceased by sisters, Elaine Sullivan and Patricia Forrest; along with special cousin, Lorena Booten.

A private graveside service will be held at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Ellsworth. An opportunity to celebrate Ruth's life will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Jordan-Fernald, 113 Franklin St., Ellsworth. Those who desire may make contributions in Ruth's memory to the Ellsworth Garden Club, P.O. Box 722, Ellsworth, or Birdsacre, P.O. Box 485, Ellsworth, ME 04605. Condolences may be expressed at jordanfernald.com.

Share Bar Harbor Story