Alan S. Silverman. William and Jyoti Hawley. Betty A. Walls. Judith (Freehafer) Cousins. Mollie Ann Meserve.
Jun 14, 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.
Alan S. Silverman
Seal Harbor
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Alan S. Silverman, who passed away peacefully at his home in Seal Harbor, Maine, on June 2, 2026, surrounded by his loving wife and sons. He was 70 years old.
Al was born on October 14, 1955, to Irving and Beverlee Silverman and was raised in Brooklyn, New York. He proudly served his country as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, carrying the values of service, compassion, and patriotism throughout his life.
After his military service, Al and Mary made Seal Harbor their home, where they built a life rooted in family, hard work, and helping others. He will be remembered for his kindness, strength, sense of humor, and his ability to make everyone feel welcome.
Al was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, known lovingly as “Papa,” as well as a brother and friend. Nothing brought him greater happiness than spending time with his grandchildren, whether playing at the house or walking them to the beach to search for sand dollars and sea glass.
Al is survived by his beloved wife of 43 years, Mary E. (Stanley) Silverman; his son Kenneth I. Silverman and wife, Alicia, their children, Abbie, Charlotte, and Jackson, of Southwest Harbor; his son Brian C. Silverman and wife, Dani, their children, Ava and Lucy, of Mount Desert; and his son Jason A. Silverman his children, Jayden, Sage, and Lydia. He is also survived by his brother, Randy Silverman; sisters, Eileen Mongelli and Stacy Pester; and his brother-in-law, Frank Stanley.
He was predeceased by his parents, Irving and Beverlee Silverman.
A private graveside service will be held at Seal Harbor Cemetery on June 28, 2026, for family and friends.
William and Jyoti Hawley
Tremont
The family and friends of William and Jyoti Hawley are mourning the passing of these two soulmates who joined their lives together at their marriage in June, 1975, and left this life together fifty years later, in December, 2025.
William, affectionately known as Bill, was 75 years old. Jyoti, born Kiyoko Yamazaki, was 78.
They made a mutual decision to take their own lives together. They made it clear in letters they left that this was planned well in advance.
They both had strong character, were gracious and nuanced yet playful and quick to laugh.
Their deep appreciation of fine art and cuisine informed their life work, which was music composition for Bill, and for Jyoti was piano, macrobiotic cooking, and teaching yoga.
Bill was born on November 4, 1950, in Bronxville, New York, the first of two children of James and Linda Hawley, and raised in Cazenovia, New York. Bill’s love of music inspired him to begin the study of composition at Ithaca College and to continue at the California Institute of the Arts near Los Angeles.
Jyoti was born on August 30, 1947, and grew up in Hagi, Japan, the daughter of Masataka and Ken Yamazaki. Her first artistic love was piano, on which she crafted exceptional technique and interpretation of the classics. Her musical studies took her to Germany and on to the California Institute of the Arts, where she met Bill.
After they married, Bill and Jyoti completed their degrees at Cal Arts then moved to New York City where they soon became part of the classical music community. They also supported the New Music scene by hosting performances in their Tribeca loft.
Here Bill developed his defining style: a sound distinctly of its time yet informed by earlier music, making it accessible to all. He became best known for his choral works, as demonstrated on his album Shall We Gather at the River, directed by Robert Bode, as well as recordings and performances by the San Francisco group Chanticleer and many others. His choral/orchestral masterwork Seattle was commissioned by the Seattle Choral Company to be part of the sesquicentennial celebrations of that city.
While living in New York, Jyoti discovered yoga and pursued it with deep passion to the point of traveling annually to India for extended training. Her mastery of Iyengar Yoga and ability to teach eventually attracted students of her own. She continued to stretch her horizons by learning macrobiotic cooking and offering it as a chef, studying Sanskrit, and training to advanced ranks in the Tibetan martial art of Boabom.
After three decades in The City, Bill and Jyoti decided to move to Bass Harbor, Maine.
Well established as a composer, Bill was able to maintain his contacts and pursue new inspirations online. He joined the Mount Desert Island Episcopal community while Jyoti deepened her spiritual life by training six hours a day and continuing to lead classes in yoga.
Memorial services are planned to be held at 5 pm on Wednesday, June 17, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Southwest Harbor, Maine.
Betty A. Walls
Mt. Desert
Betty A. Walls, 84, died May 25, 2026 at her home in Otter Creek. She was born on November 7, 1941 in Bar Harbor, the daughter of Leon Philip and Rose Ann (Salisbury) Giles.
Betty graduated from Bar Harbor High School in the 1960 class. She married Hillard W. Walls, Sr., in 1962. They went on to have two children.
Betty enjoyed sewing, knitting, canning, gardening and baking. She made many sweaters and was known as the “Doll Lady” for all the beautiful outfits she made. She was a member of the Angel Helpers and helped raise money for the hearing impaired.
Betty is survived by her husband of 64 years; two sons Hillard W. “Tad” Walls, Jr., and partner Gabriel Yorgan of Town Hill and Kevin Walls and wife Sue Cullen of Bar Harbor; grandchildren, Julian Walls, Sebastian Cullen; niece Melissa Burns and husband Ryan Curran of Eastbrook and many other nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and her sister, Pat Burns.
A celebration of Betty’s life will be held later this summer.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com
Judith (Freehafer) Cousins
West Chester, Pennsylvania, and Bernard, Maine
Judith (Freehafer) Cousins, 94, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, and Bernard, Maine, passed away peacefully in her home on June 3, 2026.
She was predeceased by her husband Samuel Cousins, with whom she shared 56 years of marriage.
She was born on April 12, 1932, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Baldwin School, Mount Holyoke College, and completed graduate school at Bryn Mawr College. She later earned a degree from Longwood Gardens Horticultural School. She worked at the family business, Thermal Pipe Systems, with headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, and a manufacturing plant in Durant, Oklahoma.
She was a dedicated member of the Pocopson Township Planning Committee for many years and was passionate about preserving open space.
She lived on her cherished farm for sixty-six years where she loved gardening, walking her dogs, riding horses, fox hunting, and cooking. She learned French cooking during a year in Paris and took pride in making delicious and elaborate meals from scratch. She also enjoyed summer visits to her home in Bernard, Maine, where she spent time birdwatching, reading, cooking, and gardening.
She is survived by her children, Nathaniel and his wife Sarah, Elizabeth and her husband Brian Korrell, daughter Sarel, of Maryland, and Chandra and her husband Keith Raymond of Maine. She is also survived by two grandchildren, Virginia Korrell and Austin Raymond. The family will have a memorial gathering at Judy’s home in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance in West Chester, Pennsylvania or online at: www.bvarcva.formstack.com/forms/brcgiving.
Mollie Ann Meserve
Brooklin
Mollie Ann Meserve, age 81, and a long-term resident of Brooklin, Maine, recently peacefully passed away at home.
She was born in Dallas on December 9, 1944, the only child of Ralph and Emly (Stewart) Lacey. Mollie graduated from North Dallas High School, where she served as editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper. She was also a member of the National Honor Society and Senior Executive Committee. After high school, she attended University of Texas at Dallas, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor Degree of Science in Theatre.
From University of Texas at Dallas, Mollie moved on to earn a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre and Drama, specializing in playwriting, at Indiana University – Bloomington. Her plays have won four national contests and have been produced in Maryland, Washington DC, Pennsylvania and Texas.
In 1981, Mollie married Walter J. Meserve Jr. (her beloved “Joe”) and in 1988 they moved to New York City, where Joe accepted a Distinguished Professor of Graduate Studies in the Theater Department of the City University of New York, while Mollie managed a small publishing company.
In the early 1990s, Joe and Mollie discovered the charm of Brooklin, Maine, where they would happily spend the next 30-plus years together. During this period, they made numerous trips abroad, highlighted by a cross-Atlantic cruise on the QE2 and several visits to their favorite wine regions of France.
While in Brooklin, Mollie stayed busy with founding small theatre-related business ventures as well as, with her husband Joe (deceased), a business called Rough Magic Creations, designing and creating jewelry, accessories and decorative items for the home.
We’ll miss Mollie’s adept use of words and unique sense of humor; initiated by her Texas upbringing, shaped by her experiences in theatre and perfected during her years living on the coast of Down East Maine.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com
CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR KENNETH JOSEPH SALVATORE
Kenneth Joseph Salvatore, 74, of Southwest Harbor. Celebration of life will be held June 29 at Bar Harbor Club, Bar Harbor, at 4-6 p.m. Remembrance at 5 p.m.
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