Steven Jay Lyman. Lucille E. Albee. Pamala Jean Morrison-Colby. Mari Lee Knowles. Linda Mae (Tracy) Kuzyk. Harvey C. Hopkins Jr. Virginia Stone (Weis) Bourne.
May 10, 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. We will also share obituaries that have been in other places, too. Just let us know.
By request we’ve started sharing obituaries from throughout Hancock County. This is a bit of a bigger lift for us, but we’ll try to keep doing it if it’s something that you all want. We all are so connected here.
Steven Jay Lyman
Southwest Harbor
Steven Jay Lyman, 76, unexpectedly passed away during the night of April 11, 2026, while visiting his brother in Atlanta, GA. He was born on December 10, 1949 in Washington DC and raised in Bethesda, Maryland. He attended Walt Whitman High School in Maryland, Worcester Academy in Massachusetts, and graduated from St. Andrews College in North Carolina.
Steve married Molly Hill in 1971 before they moved to South Royalton, VT. where he graduated from Vermont Law School. In 1978 they moved to Southwest Harbor, Maine, and he began his career as an attorney. He practiced law in Southwest Harbor and then in Bangor for a number of years before returning to Southwest Harbor where he practiced until his retirement. Throughout his working life as an attorney, Molly was at his side serving as his paralegal and life-partner in every way.
Steve loved sailing and spent many happy days with Molly on their boat, Novedad. While in law school he took up cross-country skiing and later re-discovered his love of fly-fishing. An audiophile, he was passionate about music, was an ardent reader, and a devoted New England sports fan. He was a kind and humble man who loved and valued his family and friends (some life-long); he treasured life on the island and always stood ready to offer a helping hand to others whenever the opportunity arose.
He is survived by his older brother Bob Lyman and wife Kathy of Tuscaloosa, AL. and younger brother Jim Lyman of Silver Spring, MD., his niece Meghan Lyman, her partner David Veatch and their daughter, Naomi, of Atlanta, GA., as well as his sister-in-law and dear friend, Sue Hill of Douglassville, PA. and his grand-nephew and -niece, River and Sierra Bond (Burlington and Chelsea, VT., respectively). Steve was predeceased by his wife Molly, who died in 2015.
A celebration of his life will be held later this summer.
Lucille E. Albee
Bar Harbor
Lucille E. Albee, 85, died peacefully on April 27, 2026, in Ellsworth. She was born July 29, 1940, in Ellsworth, the daughter of Andrew and Margaret (Brown) Steele.
Lucille spent her early years in Ellsworth; around the age of 7 she was adopted by a distant family member, Mary Morse. When she passed away a few years later, Lucille lived with other family members until her early teens, moved for the last time to Bass Harbor and graduated from Pemetic in 1958. During her time in Bass Harbor, she became good friends with Pauline met her brother Lawrence E. Albee and were married in 1959 and had three children.
Lucille worked from 1971-2000 for the U.S. Postal Service in Salisbury Cove and Bar Harbor. She and Lawrence loved to travel while the kids were young and even after they grew up. They enjoyed going on camping trips to various places in Maine and the U.S. A few years before retirement they bought a 28-foot tag along and became seasonals at Whispering Pines and later Balsam Cove on Toddy Pond in Orland. Visits by grandchildren and seeing friends in their camping community were highlights of the season.
Lucille and Lawrence moved into their house in Salisbury Cove in 1964 to raise their family. She was proud to have lived in her house for more than 60 years and to call all of her neighbors friends. She looked forward to talking to the summer visitors staying at the cottages nearby and telling them her story. She cherished the visits with her sister Joyce in Florida each winter after Lawrence passed. They had a great time going to local country music performances with their group of friends.
Lucille met her friend of 65 years, Tina Gott, at the Bar Harbor Hospital when they were both delivering children the same day. They remained friends sharing all the new additions, milestones and losses throughout. They spoke every day, right to the end. Another very close friend was Lee Gray, a neighbor, and when Lawrence passed away told Lucille she would check in on her every day from then on. She did that right to the end. She was a constant support and a valued friend.
She is survived by two sons; Larry Albee and wife Patty Pinkham of Seal Cove, Brian Albee and partner, Sherryl Fields of Trenton; four grandchildren; Emma Albee of Seal Cove, Sarah Albee of Concord, N.H., Austin Albee of Ellsworth and Croix Albee and wife Natasha of Hancock; sister Jeannie Taylor and husband Timmy of Northeast Harbor, sister-in-law Pam Steele of Brooklin and many nieces and nephews. Lucille was predeceased by her beloved husband of 55 years in 2014, a daughter Judith Lynne in 1979 in a car accident, her sister Joyce Spurling and brother Jimmy Steele.
A celebration of Lucille’s life will be held at 1pm, May 9, 2026, at Eden Baptist Church, 155 Old Bar Harbor Rd, Bar Harbor.
Contributions in Lucille’s memory may be made to the Judy Albee Scholarship Fund, c/o The First, 102 Main Street, Bar Harbor ME 04609; or to the IFOPA (a support group for her granddaughter Emma’s genetic condition), IFOPA, P.O. Box 800084, Kansas City, MO 64180.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
Pamala Jean-Morrison-Colby
Trenton
Pamala Jean Morrison-Colby, 60, passed away unexpectedly on October 26, 2025, at MDI Hospital. Born in Ellsworth on February 23, 1965, to Charles G. and Cynthia L. (Danico) Morrison, Pamala was a graduate of George Stevens Academy and the University of Maine at Machias. She was known by all for her wicked sense of humor and a quick wit that could light up any room.
A dedicated employee, Pamala spent 34 years in the grants department at Jackson Lab, where she built many lasting friendships. She was a gifted crafter who loved knitting, baking, and attending craft fairs with her dear friend, Jeni. Above all, Pamala was a devoted mother whose greatest joy was her son, Charlie.
She was predeceased by her husband of 30 years, Royal Colby; her father, Charles Morrison and stepmother, Patricia Morrison; grandmother, Marjorie Morrison-Soper; and uncle, Clyde “Sunny” Morrison. She is survived by her son, Charlie Colby; her mother and stepfather, Cynthia and Clay Soules; sisters Lori Boyd and Jennifer Rivers; stepdaughter Winter Colby and grandson Seamus Colby; and a large, loving extended family.
A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. on May 16 at Woodbine Cemetery.
A celebration of life will follow in Trenton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the SPCA of Hancock County or a local food pantry.
Mari Lee Knowles
Tremont
Mari Lee Knowles passed away on April 18, 2026, in Bangor, Maine. Born on January 24, 1953, to Harold and Patricia Olsen in Chicago, Ill., Mari was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother; she will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, and fierce love of her family. She lived for her grandchildren and found her greatest joy in being surrounded by her family. Easygoing by nature, Mari was happiest simply being together with those she loved, always ready to share a good laugh, especially over a game of cards. She was a dedicated nurse for 48 years, working in home health care, OB, hospice care, med surge, and ICU.
She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Geoffrey Knowles of Bass Harbor, Maine; her daughter, Laura Murphy, son-in-law, Ryan Murphy, and grandchildren, Jackson, Logan, and Averie Murphy of Bellingham, Mass.; her son, Brian Knowles, daughter-in-law, Laura Frawley, and grandchildren, Will and Riley Knowles of Dedham, Mass.; and her son, Jason Knowles and daughter-in-law, Alexandra Knowles of Framingham, Mass. In addition, she is survived by her sister, Christine Baker, and brother-in-law, Raymond Baker, of Burr Ridge, Ill.; her brother, David Olsen, and sister in-law, Collette Olsen, of La Valle, Wis.; and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Patricia Olsen, of La Grange, Ill.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, at Saint Saviour’s Church in Bar Harbor, Maine. Donations in Mari’s name can be made to Mount Desert Island Hospital (Bar Harbor, Maine) at https://www.mdihospital.org/giving/give-now.
Linda Mae (Tracy) Kuzyk
Mount Desert Island and Bethel
Linda Mae (Tracy) Kuzyk, 78, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 27th, at home under hospice care, surrounded by her nearest and dearest—her husband, Peter; her son, Chris; her daughter, Cindy; her son-in-law, Ryan; and her pride and joy, her only blood grandchild, Nadia.
Linda was born on July 23, 1947, in Bar Harbor, Maine, to Shirley Emma (Dodge) and Woodbury Hobart Tracy. She grew up on Mount Desert Island, a place that always remained part of her. Though she later made her home in the mountains, she returned to the ocean often—“so that part of me stays alive and well.”
At the age of 29, Linda experienced the heartbreaking loss of her younger brother, Caleb Tracy, who passed away in a motorcycle accident. This profound tragedy shaped her in lasting ways and led to a lifelong interest in spirituality and the afterlife.
Linda dedicated 38 years of her life to education, spending her entire career as an elementary educator at Crescent Park School in Bethel, Maine. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine at Farmington and her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Maine. A passionate and innovative teacher, she was an early adopter of classroom technology and a recognized leader in her field. She was honored as the state winner of Technology Teacher of the Year in 1995, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Elementary Science Teaching in 1996, and earned her National Board Certification in 1999. She loved her students deeply and always referred to them as “her kids.”
Beyond the classroom, Linda was creative, curious, and deeply thoughtful. She loved painting in oils and writing fiction and poetry. She was also an avid, lifelong reader and “tome” enthusiast. She embraced physical challenges, including completing a marathon in Waterville, Maine. She enjoyed rockhounding and had a deep appreciation for the natural world—she was the kind of person who would bring home rocks, feathers, and shells, finding joy in the smallest things. Her interests extended into spirituality—she was a certified hypnotherapist and Reiki practitioner, and explored shamanism, finding peace and meaning working in her sacred garden.
More than anything, Linda cherished her family. She shared a deep and enduring bond with her husband, Peter, and took great pride in her children, Christopher and Cynthia. She loved her family deeply, including Peter’s children—Daniel, Rebekka, and Betsey. Her love for her granddaughter, Nadia, was especially profound—she was truly the light of her life, and she cherished her role as “Mimi.”
She also found great joy in the simple things—especially caring for her beloved dogs and cats, her “babies with fur.” Her love for animals was profound. In one harrowing incident, she jumped into a frigid river in an attempt to rescue her elderly diabetic yellow lab, Nugget. Though she was unable to save him, she survived the 35-degree water and made her way, soaking wet, up a steep riverbank and over 200 yards to safety—an example of the courage, love, and determination that defined her.
Linda will be remembered as highly empathetic, intelligent, creative, strong, and resilient, and for the quiet but powerful way she cared for those around her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel safe, understood, and deeply loved.
Linda was predeceased by her brother, Caleb Tracy; her sister, Ann; her niece, Tracy Ward; and her parents, Shirley Emma (Dodge) Tracy and Woodbury Hobart Tracy.
She is survived by her loving husband, Peter Lyon Kuzyk; her daughter, Cynthia Ellen Torrey of Bethel, Maine, and son-in-law, Ryan Earl Brown of Bethel, Maine, along with Cindy’s stepson, Gage Ryan Stevens, and his partner, Gabby Leino of Oxford, Maine; her beloved granddaughter, Nadia Emma Torrey of Bethel, Maine; her son, Christopher William Torrey of Bar Harbor, Maine, and his partner, Kristen Heather Cameron; her niece, Elizabeth Young, her husband, Christopher, and their children, Emily, Spencer, and Wyatt, of Blue Hill, Maine; and her stepchildren: Daniel Alexander Kuzyk of Loudon, New Hampshire; Rebekka F. Stasny, her husband, Daniel, and their daughter, Isabel, of Bradenton, Florida; and Betsey Ruidiaz, her husband, Angel, her daughter, Aryanna, and her sons, Neako and Jahsiah, of Cotuit, Massachusetts.
She will be deeply missed and forever loved.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Disease Research fund at brightfocus.org/cureALZ.
Arrangements are in the care of Cliff Gray Cremation where condolences and tributes may be shared at www.cliffgraycremations.com.
Harvey C. Hopkins Jr.
Deer Isle
Harvey C. Hopkins Jr. passed away on November 14, 2025, after a short illness in Pacific Grove, California. He was 97 years old, born in October 1928 in Quincy, Illinois, the son of Ruth and Harvey C. Hopkins Sr. Harvey grew up in Quincy, Ill., and later Chappaqua, NY. He caddied golf as a boy at the Mt. Kisco Country Club, once for Babe Ruth, who gave Harvey an autographed baseball as payment for the effort! Harvey participated as a Boy Scout with Chappaqua Troop 1, serving as a Junior Air Raid Warden during WWII and spent summers at Camp Norway in upstate New York as a camper and later as a counselor.
Harvey graduated from Horace Greely (Chappaqua) High School, class of 1946, and attended Amherst College and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering. He met his future wife, Lucy Small of Deer Isle, Maine, in 1954 in Hartford, Conn., and they were married for 68 years. Harvey was employed as a nuclear fuels engineer by The Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Co. in Hartford and Oak Ridge, Tenn. In 1956, Harvey and Lucy moved to San Diego to work for the small (at the time) startup company named General Atomics. They built their house in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and from 1960 lived in it until 2022, when Lucy passed away. They raised two boys, amid an athletic outdoor life of surfing, skiing, whitewater rafting the Western rivers, backpacking the Grand Canyon and racing sailboats on San Diego Bay. Harvey and Lucy were fortunate to travel all the continents of the world for 35 years in retirement. They also spent ten summers in the 1980s living in Lucy’s childhood home in North Deer Isle just past Hardy Lane.
Virginia Stone (Weis) Bourne
Peterborough, New Hampshire and Deer Isle
Virginia Stone (Weis) Bourne was born in 1930 in Lancaster, MA. She always considered herself a small-town girl and was both glad and proud of it. In 1950, she married Standish Bourne, who survives her. She is also survived by four children: Elizabeth Bourne and Ann Kebbell of Westminster, VT; Sandy (Standish) of Dummerston, VT; Frederick of Litchfield, CT; and families. Virginia had six grandchildren and five great grandchildren and an extended family of nieces, nephews, step-grandchildren, beloved Labradors and cats.
After bringing up her children in five or six states (as dictated by her husband’s employment), Virginia settled in Castine, Maine, at Moss Acre, an historic house left to her unexpectedly by her great aunt Molly Dewson and her partner Polly Porter. Virginia and her husband lived there for 50 happy years, preserving its legacy, along with its faulty plumbing, outdated wiring, leaking roof, chipped paint and so forth. There was the endless weeding and planting of old gardens, tackling bittersweet, and mowing lawns with her walk-behind mower. In the winter she shoveled snow and lugged stove wood, vacuuming and cleaning through all seasons.
Virginia was devoted to the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Castine, serving in many capacities. She recruited ministers to fill the pulpit in the years when Castine had only a quarter-time minister from Ellsworth. For more than 20 summers, she hosted annual church picnics at Moss Acre.
Over the years, Virginia enjoyed countless gatherings of children, spouses, grandchildren, and family friends of all generations, not to mention tree planters and the L.L. Bean kayakers. In the winter there was skiing on the carriage roads of Acadia and the paths she helped build at Moss Acre.
Let’s not forget her miles on a bicycle, whether into town with her tennis racquet, or her one expedition over the Deer Isle Bridge, or her many birthday balloon dances for various citizens. She and Stan spent 75 years messing about in boats, hiking in the White Mountains, and canoeing on Maine ponds, passing a love of adventure to their children.
She died in mid-April, just shy of her 96th birthday. Virginia was a busy lady, with a bright smile for everyone.
Discover more from Bar Harbor Story
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.