Joyce A. Harding, Annette Skaad Joyce. Venessa Arsenault
Aug 09, 2026
“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.
Joyce A. Harding
Lamoine
Joyce Eleanor (Ashe) Harding, 89, passed away on Sunday August 2, 2026. She was born on January 3, 1937 in Eastbrook, the daughter of Lawrence and Elizabeth (Joy) Ashe. Joyce graduated from Ellsworth High School in 1954.
On August 27, 1956, she married the love of her life, Richard “Dick” Harding of Lamoine. Together they built not only a successful business, but a remarkable life centered on family, hard work, and community.
Joyce had a passion for antiques and owned an antique store in Trenton until 1970, when she and Dick started the Clam Shell Take-Out. The business soon evolved into the Gateway Lobster Pound and Happy Folly Gift Shop. In 1984, they expanded their venture by purchasing Lunt’s Lobster Pound across the street. Together they owned and operated these beloved seasonal restaurants for 50 years, welcoming countless visitors and locals with their hospitality.
During the winter months, Joyce and Dick enjoyed spending time in Port Charlotte, Florida.
Above all else, Joyce cherished her family. She found her greatest joy in bringing everyone together and creating lasting memories. She and Dick loved traveling and shared that passion with their children and grandchildren, taking guided tours and river cruises throughout Europe. On many occasions, three generations of the family, sometimes as many as fifteen people, traveled together, creating treasured memories that will endure for years to come.
Joyce was also deeply involved in public service and civic life. She was an active member of the Hancock County Republican Party, serving as President of the Hancock County Republican Women’s organization. She worked on the U.S. Senate campaigns of Bill Cohen and Olympia Snowe and was honored to attend the inaugural balls of Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
She is lovingly remembered by her children: Timothy Harding of Lamoine; Gregory Harding and his wife, Patricia, of Trenton; Kim Collier and her husband, Steve, of Fort Myers, Florida; and Michelle Beal and her husband, Everett, of Ellsworth. She also leaves behind six cherished grandchildren: Jason Collier and his wife, Kaley; Heather Mitch and her husband, Ryan; Evan Beal and his wife, Monica; Kara Beal; Ashley Harding; and Nicholas Harding. Joyce was the proud great-grandmother of Madelyn and Nathan Collier, Carson and Palmer Mitch, and Theodore Beal. Joyce was predeceased by her beloved husband, Richard “Dick” Harding; her sisters, Catherine Day Bragdon and Betty Harding; and her brother, Lawrence “Buddy” Ashe.
Joyce will be remembered for her unwavering devotion to her family, her entrepreneurial spirit, her generosity, and the warmth she shared with everyone who knew her. Her legacy lives on through the family she loved so deeply and the many lives she touched throughout her remarkable life.
A celebration of life will be held on August 25, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Gateway/Lunts Lobster Pound in Trenton.
Those who desire may make contributions to honor Joyce to the charity of their choice.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
Annette Skaad Joyce
Swan’s Island
Annette Skaad Joyce, 84, of Swan’s Island, Maine, passed away on July 20, 2026, at MDI Hospital in Bar Harbor, Maine. Annette was born on January 28, 1942, in West Orange, New Jersey, as the second daughter of Gunvald and Anna (Leland) Skaad.
Her parents were both from Norway but met and married in America, obtained their citizenship, and lived out the remainder of their days in the United States. Annette’s childhood home growing up was a constant flow of people coming and going, as her parents opened their home to those in need of shelter as well as to copious amounts of visitors over the years. During Annette’s teen-aged years her family took in a young man from Germany who became like a brother to her and whom she kept a close connection with over the years – with her children and his children growing up as “cousins.” Annette was raised in a home of hospitality, which clearly influenced how she chose to run her own home once she had her own family to raise. Annette encouraged her children to freely invite friends over and the home that she created as her children were growing up was one filled with laughter, voices of children, and one that was always welcoming to friends as well as strangers (who were friends we simply hadn’t met yet).
When Annette was five years old, she and her family moved temporarily back to Norway for the purpose of retrieving her paternal grandmother to return with them to America to live out her final days with family. Her grandmother did not speak English, and by default Annette grew up in a home that spoke both Norwegian and English regularly, so she grew up being fluent in both. Annette was very proud of her Norwegian heritage and where her roots came from. Family – whether blood or “adopted” – was very important to her and anyone that knew her well knew this to be true.
Annette had attended some college with a desire to study nursing and had worked in a few various medical health settings before ending up meeting her husband, David Joyce of Swan’s Island, Maine. Annette was nothing if not a strong-willed extroverted woman from New Jersey who ended up falling for an easy-going introverted lobsterman from an island in Maine. They married on September 19, 1969, and were married for 56 years at the time of her passing. They were each other’s salt and pepper – keeping life interesting and well-seasoned. Annette viewed everyone she met as a potential friend, was never shy about striking up a conversation, and was always free with her compliments and words of encouragement. She was well known for her “Chatty Cathy” ways and her strong and spunky personality. Annette’s love of coffee, the color pink, mowing her lawn with the tractor (even up until she was 83 years old!), family, friends, music, singing, and socializing was unmatched.
Annette’s faith in God was instilled in her from an early age and remained with her to the end. She often said she didn’t fear death, as she remembered as a child watching her paternal grandmother pass peacefully from this world while reaching out for Jesus. Annette’s own passing from this life was very similar. Annette is survived by her husband (David), her son (Michael), and her daughter (Michelle). She is also survived by many extended family members (both blood and “adopted”) and friends whom she loved and by whom she was well loved. She was predeceased by her parents (Gunvald and Anna), her parents-in-law (Bradley and Gladys), and her older sister (Gladys).
Annette’s celebration of life will take place on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at noon at the Swan’s Island Baptist Church. All are welcome to attend. A light luncheon will follow in the church annex directly after the service. Annette loved life and would love to think that those attending her celebration would attend in cheerful attire. In lieu of flowers we challenge you to be brave, talk to a stranger, give a compliment, be an encourager … as this will allow her legacy to live on.
Venessa Arsenault
Penobscot
Venessa Arsenault, 91, of Penobscot, Maine, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2026, in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, surrounded by her family. Born in 1935, Venessa was raised in Penobscot, where her roots and connection to the Maine community have remained an important part of her life.
Venessa dedicated her life to education and to caring for others. A graduate of Bucksport High School and the University of Maine Farmington, she became a home economics teacher, and truly enjoyed teaching her students to cook and sew. Some of her most beloved stories and humorous anecdotes came from her teaching experiences with students and fellow faculty. She began her teaching career in Auburn, Maine, while also being a dorm parent at Hebron Academy, where her husband, Larry, taught. Her time at Hebron held special meaning for her, especially living in “Red Lion,” a home on the Hebron Academy campus where she frequently made cookies for the students residing there.
Beyond the classroom, Venessa was known for her creativity, curiosity, and generous spirit. She found joy in arts and crafts, oil painting, sewing, knitting, and reading. She was a talented cook, remembered especially for her wonderful apple pies and the warmth shared around her table. She was always quick to laugh, easy to approach, and welcomed others with genuine interest and compassion. Adventurous and independent, she embraced life and embarked on multiple cross-country trips to see Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. And she never shied away from local adventures, climbing Blue Hill Mountain with her grandchildren in her 80th year. Venessa’s legacy lives on through the many lives she touched with family and friends. In the community, she built connections through the Penobscot Historical Society and the Castine Women’s Club. Her family remembers her as a loving mother, a caring and special aunt, and a gentle guide to those who wanted to learn.
Venessa was predeceased by her son, David; and husband, Larry. She is survived by her son, Matthew and his wife and two daughters; along with extended family and friends, who will remember her kindness, creativity, humor, and the quiet generosity that defined her life.
Venessa will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.
A celebration of her life will be held on August 15, starting with a service at Penobscot United Methodist Church, 14 Southern Bay Rd., Penobscot, at 1 p.m., followed by a social gathering with family and friends. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Arsenault Family Scholarship at Hebron Academy. Donations may be made online here or by mailing a check, payable to Hebron Academy, P.O. Box 309, Hebron, ME 04238, please note “Arsenault Family Scholarship” in the memo or accompanying note.
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