Henry L.P. “Hank” Schmelzer. Casey Lyn Scott. Charles Brian Trask.

Carrie Jones

Jan 18, 2026

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.

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Henry L.P. “Hank” Schmelzer

Mount Desert

Henry “Hank” L.P. Schmelzer, 82, of Somesville, Maine, passed away peacefully at home on January 12, 2026, after a short battle with cancer. He was born in 1943 to Frank and Carroll Schmelzer, and grew up in Stow, Massachusetts.

Hank’s working life began at just 10 years old in the dairy at Pilot Grove Farm, followed by several years picking apples. During his college years, he served as a summer police officer in Northeast Harbor, Maine.

Hank was a proud 1961 graduate of Hale High School, where he served as class president. He later became class president at University of Maine in Orono, where he graduated college, and attended the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. Following law school, he served his country in Vietnam in 1969 as a Captain in U.S. Army Military Intelligence, earning a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry.

Hank married his beloved wife of 47 years, Cynthia Livingston, with whom he shared many wonderful years. His distinguished career included practicing corporate and securities law in Boston, where he became Vice President and Counsel of New England Mutual Life Insurance Company. From 1991 to 1998, he served as President and CEO of the former New England Mutual Funds group. Feeling the call to serve his community in other ways, Hank stepped down from that role in 1999 to lead the Maine Community Foundation until 2008, where he championed conservation and statewide initiatives, strengthened the county funds network, and doubled the number of donors. In 2007, he was named Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year. He was also a fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 1999.

A devoted member of the Mount Desert Island and Maine communities, Hank served on numerous boards, including College of the Atlantic, University of Maine Foundation, Maine Public Broadcasting Network, and Friends of Acadia. He loved traveling, especially annual trips to Italy’s Dolomites with Cynthia, family, and friends for skiing, hiking, and savoring Italian food and wine. Fluent in Italian, Hank read Italian newspapers daily and taught Italian at Acadia Senior College. His passions included hiking, skiing, swimming, hosting and attending dinners with loved ones, and long walks with his dog, Tofi.

Hank will be remembered for his kindness, easy laugh, friendly joking, and the natural ease he brought to every interaction. He had a gift for making people feel welcome and valued, and his warmth touched all who knew him.

Hank is survived by his wife, Cynthia Livingston; sisters Margaret Salmon and Jane Reynolds; brother Jack Schmelzer; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Frank and Carroll Schmelzer, and siblings Frank Schmelzer Jr. and Dorothy King.

Service details will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friends of Acadia (https://friendsofacadia.org/membership-giving/), College of the Atlantic (https://www.coa.edu/giving/), or the Schmelzer-Livingston Fund for the Center for Poetry and Poetics at the University of Maine Foundation (https://umainefoundation.org/)

Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.

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Casey Lyn Scott

Sullivan and Bar Harbor

Casey Lyn Scott, 42, of Sullivan died unexpectedly on Jan. 11, 2026. She was born in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Sept. 5, 1983, to Debra and Douglas Scott.

She is survived by her parents, her two sons Carlton (Pepper) Mitchell of Gouldsboro and Izaac Mitchell of Sullivan, her brother Aaron Scott, his wife Meghan and sons Deegan, Dalton and Corbin, many aunts, uncles and cousins.

There will not be a service at this time.

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Charles Brian Trask

Rockland and Bar Harbor

Charles Brian Trask, of Rockland, Maine, passed away peacefully on Jan. 1, 2026, at the age of 81. He was born on June 13, 1944, in Bar Harbor, Maine, to Orville and Esther Trask. Brian was a quiet and thoughtful man, widely known for his intelligence, stubborn perseverance, and understated humor.

From an early age, Brian demonstrated a strong musical aptitude. In high school, he was assigned the tuba and became an accomplished player in the Pemetic High School band. He also taught himself to play the guitar, enjoyed singing with his siblings, participated in musical theater, dabbled in basketball, and served as Vice President of his senior class. He graduated from Pemetic High School in 1962.

Brian attended Amherst College, initially studying oceanography before switching his major to geology and earning a bachelor’s degree in 1966. During these years, his love of the natural world deepened, especially the Maine coast. Family members recall that whenever he returned home from a field trip, he carried two suitcases: a small one for clothing and a much larger one filled with rocks collected for analysis and discussion with his professors. He spent many hours revisiting the beaches of his childhood, now seeing them through both scientific and affectionate eyes.

After Amherst, Brian moved to Austin, Texas, to continue his studies in geology at the University of Texas. There he met Marilyn, a nursing student who would become his lifelong partner. After a short courtship, they were married on May 3, 1969.

In June 1969, Brian enlisted in the United States Coast Guard during the Vietnam War. His leadership and intellect were quickly recognized, leading to his selection for Officer Candidate School. Commissioned as an Ensign in 1970, he was assigned to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he contributed to marine regulatory work.

Brian earned his master’s degree in geology from the University of Texas in 1972. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, Colleen, he transitioned to the Coast Guard Reserves, and the family moved to Syracuse, N.Y., where he pursued doctoral studies. Following the birth of their son, Aaron, Brian completed his Ph.D. in geology from Syracuse University in 1976.

The family briefly lived in Pittsburgh, Pa., where Brian worked as a research scientist at Gulf Science and Technology Company, before settling in Champaign, Ill. There, Brian and Marilyn raised their children, built lasting friendships, and established deep roots. Brian spent the remainder of his professional career with the Illinois State Geological Survey, where his work included coal mapping in western Illinois, geotechnical investigations for Argonne National Laboratory, and coastal monitoring along Lake Michigan. Respected for both his expertise and generosity, Brian was a mentor to many colleagues. He later transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 2008, he retired from the Illinois State Geological Survey after 30 years of dedicated service.

In retirement, Brian and Marilyn returned to Maine, settling in Rockland, a place that reflected Brian’s lifelong connection to the coast. They embraced community life fully, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, Project Puffin, Friends of the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, and participating in educational programs that reflected their shared love of learning. They were devoted members of the Rockland Congregational Church, where they sang in the choir and served faithfully. Above all, their retirement years were filled with time spent with grandchildren, whom Brian adored.

Brian was preceded in death by his parents, Orville and Esther Trask; his beloved wife, Marilyn Trask; and his brother, Phillip Trask. He is survived by his daughter, Colleen Ulbricht (Bob Ulbricht) of St. Charles, Mo., and their children Ashley, Elizabeth, David, and Ryan; his son, Aaron Trask (Jennifer Trask) of Fairfax, Va., and their children Natalie, Alicia, Lorelai, and Alastar; and his siblings Muriel Davisson-Fahey, Bud Trask, and Emily Trask-Eaton, along with many extended family members and friends who will miss him deeply.

A celebration of Brian’s life will be held on June 28, 2026, at the Trask family home in Bernard, Maine. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations in Brian’s memory to the Georges River Land Trust.

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