People We've Lost
CHERYL A. (HIGGINS) VALLEY, PAUL SMITH RICHARDSON, MARY DOROTHY HAYS, STUART HOLMES BURR, WESLEY ERNEST STORER, STEPHEN WESSLER (STEVE), MARY BEATRICE KELLER BASTA
Note: “People We’ve Lost” is a new 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.
CHERYL A. (HIGGINS) VALLEY
BAR HARBOR
Cheryl Ann Valley, 68 years old, passed peacefully away on March 5, 2025, at the Golden Acres home, Hancock County, following a long illness. She was born in Omaha, Nebraska, daughter to Gloria (Fournier) and Richard Higgins.
She graduated from Old Town High School in 1974. She was then married to Anthony Valley and resided in Bangor, while working at Fleet Bank. After their divorce she started a life with David Bean until their separation when she relocated to the Bar Harbor area. This is where she remained for more than 25 years and worked for a landscaping company, the YMCA, and many other odd jobs. She was well known by the Bar Harbor community and store owners as well. She will be missed by many locals. Unfortunately, she was unable to have her own children; the many pets in her life were her beloved children.
She is survived by two sisters, Gail Roberts and husband, Bill, and Susan St. Louis and husband, Rick; two brothers, Micheal Higgins and wife, Cindy, and Thomas Higgins and partner, Rhonda Hadley. She was very loved by her nieces and nephews, Janelle Emerson and Jami Martell, Jonathan St. Louis, Jennifer St. Louis, Mindy St. Louis, Richard T. "RT" Higgins, Shene Roberts and Steven Roberts; and several great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her parents, Richard and Gloria Higgins; and godson, Steven St. Louis.
Although losing her is devastating to many, they will treasure the years of memories spent with Cheryl—doing things like camping, going to Pushaw Lake, the family hunting camp, and many family functions.
A celebration of life will be held at Old Town Elks Club upstairs on April 19 at 5 p.m.
PAUL SMITH RICHARDSON
MOUNT DESERT
After a brief illness, Paul Smith Richardson, 94, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2025, at a hospital in Largo, Fla., surrounded by family. He was born Dec. 17, 1930, in Otter Creek, Maine, the son of Gerald D. and Gladys M. (Smith) Richardson. He graduated from Gilman High School in 1949 and with an English degree from the University of Maine/Orono in 1953. He was a member of Phi Mu Delta fraternity, and upon graduation, he received his commission as an officer in the Army Reserve to teach combat military tactics.
After graduation, he married the love of his life, whom he met on a blind date, Dorothy "Dot" Anne Leonard, and moved to Georgia where he was stationed at Fort Benning. After his Army service, he returned to Mount Desert Island to join Crobb Box Co. Under his leadership, he took Crobb from a wartime box company to a quality wholesale manufacturer of eastern white pine.
Paul was always an active leader in his community and island. He served on the Mount Desert Planning Board and the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission for decades.
He also was a member of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, Mount Desert Island Lions Club and the Union Congregational Church of Otter Creek. He was especially proud of the research and publication of his book, “The Creation and Growth of Acadia National Park.” He will be remembered for his outgoing, friendly personality and his kind and generous heart. He loved horseback riding, golf, tennis and boating. He and Dot loved to travel and enjoyed their winters in Florida. Most importantly, he will be remembered for his steadfast love and dedication navigating Dot's 27-year struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
He is survived by his children: Paula Richardson-Gannon and husband, John, Gail Richardson Gee, Peter Leonard Richardson and wife Peggy (Miller); grandchildren, Abigail Gee and husband Todd Gregorian, Molly (Gee) Rahman and husband Asad, Britt (Emmons) and husband Anthony Ricardo, Clare Gannon and her New Zealand family, Miles Emmons and wife Danielle (Nason), Kelsey Richardson and husband Brendan O'Donoghue, Joseph Richardson and wife Lauryn (Barker); great-grandchildren, Charles and Hadley Ricardo, Aria and Rua Emmons, Fox Gregorian, Laith Rahman, Mira and Jude O'Donoghue, Ellis Richardson; nieces Rebecca Richardson, Caryn Parr; nephews Scott and Brian Richardson, Joe and Charles Hammond and their families. In addition to his parents, Paul was predeceased by his wife Dot, brother Roger Richardson and nephew Tom Richardson.
A celebration of Paul's life will be held at a later date.
Gifts may be made in his memory to the Aid Society of Otter Creek, Maine; c/o Sally Weiss, 21 Walls St., Otter Creek, ME 04660.
MARY DOROTHY HAYS
Bass Harbor
Mary Dorothy Hays died on March 14 after a short illness. She was born in Cody, Wyoming on November 26, 1945. In 1950, Mary, mom Bonnie and father Harold moved to Scotch Plains, New Jersey after her father, a petroleum engineer, accepted a position in the petroleum department of Chase Manhattan Bank. Mary always loved nature and her home in Scotch Plains bordered the Watchung Reservation, a 2000+ acre historic nature park. She, her brother, David, and sisters Jamie and Betsy, spent countless hours exploring its hills, streams and waterfalls. In the early 1970s, Mary decided that she wanted to learn to ski and, like everything she set her mind to, she became an expert skier taking on the black diamonds and mogul fields of New England and Colorado. In July of 1973, Mary fulfilled a long-term ambition and hiked the portion of the Appalachian Trail from northern Massachusetts to Maine. For a woman to hike this difficult portion of the AT in 1973 was unusual; for a woman to hike it alone was remarkable.
In 1977, on a ski trip to Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, Mary met the love of her life, Mike Hays. Their first date was on April 1, 1977; they were engaged on July 3, 1977, and married on November 5, 1977, and remained together for the next forty-seven years.
After Mike was transferred back to Kansas City, they decided that they missed the East Coast and especially New England with its history and outdoor opportunities. In 1979, they moved to Henniker, New Hampshire and lived in New Hampshire until 2002. In 1985, they decided to take a vacation and visit Mount Desert Island. They knew little about MDI but when crossing the Thompson Island Bridge, they realized they had come to their special place. They vacationed on the island annually and in 1997 purchased their home “Time & Tide” in Bass Harbor. They moved to MDI full time in 2002. In 2009, Mary became intrigued with the fiber art of rug hooking. Self-taught, she began to exhibit her works in 2011, winning local and state-wide awards for her work. Her original piece “Cobble Bridge” was selected as the outstanding landscape rug in 2017 by Rug Hooking magazine. In 2022, Mary was selected as the International Artist of the Year by the North American Hooked Rug Museum in Nova Scotia, Canada. Not only did rug hooking satisfy her artistic nature, but it also provided a “friend rich” environment.
According to her wishes, there will be no memorial service. Anyone wishing to honor her memory should donate to their favorite non-profit organization. They should also tell the people that they love that they love them. Mary would like that.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
STUART HOLMES BURR
NORTHEAST HARBOR
Stuart Holmes Burr, 85, passed away of congestive heart failure surrounded by his family on Feb 25, 2025. He was born in Bar Harbor on Nov 13, 1939. He was the oldest of three children born to Maurice Burr and Jane (Holmes) Burr.
He grew up in Northeast Harbor and graduated from Higgins Classical Institute in Charleston, Maine, in 1959. He pursed an automotive degree from Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute in Portland and graduated in 1961. Then he went on to study heavy equipment operation in Charlotte, N.C. He returned to Maine and worked for various construction companies including H.E. Sargent Construction, building Interstate 95. He was also employed at the Ford Garage in Southwest Harbor before working for Richard Merchant Construction Company in Northeast Harbor. After Merchant Construction folded, he went to work for the town of Mount Desert doing mechanical work and driving construction equipment. He was the caretaker for a number of years at the Sage and Sampson homes in Northeast Harbor. He also delivered oil for Rick Savage’s Savage Oil Company as well as did carpentry work for Brian Hamor Builders and Donald Hagberg. He was then hired by the Mount Desert Water Company where he worked his way up to the superintendent position. He worked for the Water Company until his retirement in 2015. After his retirement from the Water Company, he spent several summers working for the Mount Desert Chamber of Commerce at the Northeast Harbor Marina helping visitors to the island find their way around. He was a longtime volunteer firefighter for the Mount Desert Fire Department, and in 2018, he was honored with their Firefighter of the Year award as well as their Distinguished Public Service award for his outstanding accomplishments for his over 50 years hard work.
He loved going into hunting camp in Township 32 and spent many wonderful years since the late 1960s hunting, snowmobiling, and ATVing with friends and family at the “Palace in the Pine” camp.
Through his devotion to his family, he taught his children to work hard and emphasized that no person was better than another.
He was predeceased by his brother John Burr of California. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years Pamela (Scott) Burr of Northeast Harbor, his sister Sara Burr and her partner Patrick, and son Johnathan Burr of Vancouver, Canada. Son, Gregory Burr and wife Sue Burr of Addison. Their three children Ashley Burr of Belleville, Il., Taylor Burr of Roque Bluffs, Maine, and Sutton Burr of Southwest Harbor. Daughter, Susan Bean of Ellsworth and her three children, Josh Bean and wife Taylor, and son Myles of Lewiston, Caitlin Bean and fiancé Hunter, and their son Declan of Portland, and Lily Bean of Ellsworth. Daughter Theresa Burr and her son Mitchell Burr of Northeast Harbor. Daughter Diane Klausky and husband David of Southwest Harbor and their two children, son Cameren Klausky and fiancée Brianna of Trenton and daughter Paige Klausky and fiancé Elliot Klaver and their daughter Avery Klaver of Tremont. He wanted to remember his special cousin Doug Maines and wife Debbie and July Ireland and son John, a very special childhood and best friend Timothy Taylor of Northeast Harbor.
A graveside service will be held at the Forest Hills Cemetery in Northeast Harbor in the late spring or early summer of 2025. Contributions in his memory can be sent to the Mount Desert Fire Department at P.O. Box 248, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662.
WESLEY ERNEST STORER
OTTER CREEK
Wesley (Wes) Ernest Storer, 76, died unexpectedly from a heart condition at his home in Morrill, Maine, on Feb. 21, 2025. He was born Nov. 16, 1948, in Bangor, Maine, the eldest son of Carleton and Iola Jack Storer. He was predeceased by his mother, father, and brother Greg. He is survived by his wife of 20 years Alicia Valenzuela, brothers Glenn and Bruce Storer, sister Janet Storer, daughter Eryn Storer, son Nigel Storer, and grandson James Swan.
Wes was raised in Yarmouth, Maine, where he and his brothers lived an active and unrestricted childhood — swimming, sailing, skiing, diving, surfing, and exploring. His father, a construction engineer, introduced his sons to all aspects of construction at an early age. As a result, Wes grew up to be a man of all trades. His quick, inquisitive and creative mind could find a solution to any problem.
Throughout his life he built homes, boats, and anything that caught his interest. His most significant achievements include a post and beam home in Otter Creek, a cement boat, two multihull 30’+ sailboats, and his last project, a cement berm house in Morrill, Maine. After years of sailing, in 1991, Wes applied and received a master’s license through the U.S. Coast Guard. Wes lived on MDI for approximately 30 years before moving to Morrill in 2019.
Wes was an extremely intelligent, complex man, and like all of us, he had his dark times. At his core, he was a kind, loving soul who cherished his family and friends. Wes’ shining inner light, his energy, warmth, and his genuine love of life and people made the world a better place. He will be deeply missed.
There will be a celebration of life in the spring. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.ripostafh.com.
STEPHEN WESSLER (STEVE)
BAR HARBOR
Stephen Wessler of Bar Harbor, Maine, a life-long advocate for civil and human rights, died on March 10, 2025, at the age of 73, after living with Alzheimer's disease. He was surrounded by family and friends and was at peace.
Steve grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Harvard College and Boston University School of Law. He worked for two decades at the Maine Attorney General's office, where he launched and directed a civil rights enforcement unit. Steve founded the Center for Preventing Hate in Portland and later worked as an independent advocate and educator countering hate, discrimination and violence in Maine and around the U.S. and the world. Steve found beauty in nature, great novels, jazz, and his family.
He is survived by his sons and their partners; his granddaughters; his brothers and their spouses; his partner; his two former spouses; his niece and nephews and their families; and dear friends who, to Steve, were family too.
Donations in his honor should be made to Preble Street, preblestreet.org, or the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, ilapmaine.org.
MARY BEATRICE KELLER BASTA
With heavy hearts, we said goodbye to our beautiful mother and grandmother Mary Beatrice Keller Basta (Polly) on the evening of March 7th, 2025 in Edina, Minnesota. She is survived by her son David Robert Basta, his wife Melissa, Mary Beth Basta Nelson, and Susan Basta Stanley along with her partner Charles Edward Gower. Polly was the cherished grandmother of Zofie, Birgen, Annika, Nicolas, Ruby Sue, Corbin Olivia and Emma Suzanne … all of whom affectionately called her “Star.”
Polly was born on November 26,1934 in Cynthiana, Kentucky to George Andrew Keller Jr. and Beatrice Ann Keller. She had four siblings Margeret (Peggy), Helen (Johnnie), George Andrew and Frederic Joseph Keller, all attended Harrison County High School. The Kellers raised their five children on the family farm in Elizaville, Kentucky.
After graduating, with honors, from the University of Kentucky, Polly accepted a job in Chicago with Tennessee Eastman, a Division of Eastman Kodak. It was in Chicago in 1959, that she met and married Robert E. Basta, a Chicago native and graduate of Northwestern University in the field of Mechanical Engineering. They purchased a small home in Mount Prospect, Ill., a Chicago suburb, and together they started their family and would be married for over 60 years. After a brief Leeds and Northrup Company transfer to Omaha, Nebraska, the Basta family moved to Canton, Ohio and lived happily together, for many years, before Bob and Polly retired to Scottsdale, Arizona.
Polly was active in a wide range of community programs and served, first, as the Women’s Auxiliary Chair of the Canton Symphony Orchestra before becoming President. She was a great asset to the Avondale Elementary School PTA, where her children attended grade school, and was a Room Mother, a Cub Scout Leader and an attendee and volunteer for many annual Pro Football Hall of Fame events each August. She became a Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Agent and worked alongside her husband Bob. They loved traveling, music, tennis and being with their children. Polly cherished being a part of Sagegrass Gallery in Bar Harbor, Maine when visiting her daughter Susie. She had a great sense of style, a flare for fashion and modeling and entertained the staff and customers with her infectious laughter. Polly will continue to be loved and missed by her dear friends and family.
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Very sorry to learn of Wesley Storer's passing. I knew Wesley briefly as a fellow boat captain and I never failed to be impressed with his intelligence and creativity. Present him with a technical problem and he'd present you with a clever solution. I don't remember all the details but during the Vietnam war Wesley achieved international fame and I believe appeared on national TV after voluntarily impersonating his twin brother who had been ordered to join the battle in Vietnam. I can not think of a more loyal and loving act for although his deception was uncovered when he arrived there this more than generous act could easily have resulted in severe if not deadly consequences. I was sorry when he moved away to Belfast as our friendship had only just begun and had promised to be a very interesting one indeed. He will be missed.