Ian Jellison, Theolyn E. Gilley.

Carrie Jones

Oct 19, 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 as widely as possible and not behind paywalls or at a cost of $500 for people mourning. We’re free.

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.

---

Ian Jellison

Southwest Harbor

Ian Jellison, 44, of Southwest Harbor, passed away on September 25, 2025. He was born in Ellsworth on June 4, 1981, the beloved son of George Jellison and the late Maureen Young Bickford.

Ian graduated from Mount Desert Island High School with the Class of 1999. Ian was a fisherman by trade and a helper by nature. He also had a talent for carpentry and did a number of restoration projects for local businesses and friends. He was a friend to everyone and known for his kindness and compassion; he never hesitated to lend a hand. He loved the granite rock he called home—Mount Desert Island—and carried a deep pride for the place and community that shaped him. He hiked many of the trails and mountains on the island in the summer of 2019 with his friends. Ian held a sincere appreciation for the ocean. Lobster, halibut, tuna, you name it, Ian fished for it with various captains. For over twenty years, he was welcomed on the stern of their boats and he appreciated the experiences, which he often recounted to friends. After a long wait, he finally was granted his commercial lobster license this spring. He enjoyed having his own traps in the water this summer that he hauled and could call his own. Ian’s warmth, generosity, and enduring love for his family and friends will be remembered by all those who knew him.

He is survived by his father, George Jellison; stepmother, Anna Silver; sister, Carla Minctons; grandmother, Ruth Jellison; his cherished aunt Aimee Williams, his nephews, Sam, Cooper, and Simon, and the special light in his life, Kylie Robidoux.

A celebration of life will be announced in the future.

Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com

---

Theolyn E. Gilley

Mount Desert Island

Theolyn E. Gilley, 85, died after a long illness Oct. 8, 2025. She was born in Southwest Harbor June 15, 1940, the daughter of Alton L. and Vera C (Harper) Mitchell.

Theolyn spent her childhood in Bernard and attended Pemetic High School. She married her husband of 50 years Clayton Gilley Sr. and the couple settled in Bar Harbor. She worked for several years as an animal health technician and upon her retirement she became a prolific professional artist. She enjoyed photographing and painting images of the coast and islands of Maine, many times, when serving aboard the mission boat Sunbeam. She also had a keen interest in biblical archeology.

She was predeceased by her husband and her brother Alton. She is survived by her children Clayton Jr., Michael, Linda Hatch, Karen Willey, all of whom reside in Eastern Maine. Also, grandchildren Sean, Elizabeth, Thomas, John, Caroline, Toni, and Cara, as well as several great-grandchildren.

A reception and display of her art, where remembrances will be shared, will be 1-3 p.m., Oct. 25, at the Salisbury Cove Baptist Church Parish Hall, followed by a private graveside interment ceremony at the Otter Creek Cemetery in Mount Desert.

---