Gail Joseph Bowden. Dorene Kimball Mitchell. Matthew A Cough.
just now
“People We’ve Lost” is a feature of the Bar Harbor Story where we share obituaries of people that the island area has 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.
Gail Joseph Bowden
Salisbury Cove
Gail Joseph Bowden, 98, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2026. He was born on October 23, 1927, in Salisbury Cove, Maine, to Lewis and Jennie Bowden. His life was deeply rooted in his hometown of Salisbury Cove, where the family business, Edgewater Motel & Cottages, was central to his life and legacy.
In his formative years, Gail attended a one-room schoolhouse in Salisbury Cove before graduating from Bar Harbor High School in 1944. He went on to earn a degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University, taking a two-year leave during his studies to serve in the United States Navy. After graduation, Gail moved to upstate New York and began his career with General Electric in the turbine industry. This work provided him opportunities to travel internationally while building a rewarding career in engineering.
In 1958, Gail and his late wife, Ann K. Bowden, settled in Reading, Massachusetts, where they raised their five children. Although they lived out of state, Gail and his family remained closely connected to the Bar Harbor community by spending summers in Salisbury Cove running the family business. With the support of Ann and their five children, Gail was ableto expand the business from just three cottages to the business it is today, including construction of the motel in 1972. During the 1970s, Gail also served as chairman of the Bar Harbor Warrant Committee, as president of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, and a recipient of the Cadillac Award. In 1973, Gail retired from General Electric in order to fully devote himself to his roots in Salisbury Cove. Sadly, Ann passed away in 1995, marking the end of a cherished chapter in Gail’s life.
One of Gail’s greatest lifelong passions was gardening. He took great pride in tending his gardens and spent countless hours caring for his crops. He was especially well known for his corn, which was considered some of the best in the area.
In 1998, Gail met Edna, the second love of his life. They shared 28 happy years together, spending their winters in Florida and returning each summer to Gail’s childhood home in Salisbury Cove. Together they enjoyed playing golf, sharing good conversation during dinner parties, and traveling the world on cruises. Gail’s adventurous spirit never faded with age; at 90 years old, he even went zip-lining.
Gail was the proud father of five children: Lewis (June), Bill (Jennifer), Pat (Ted), Paul (Annette), and David (Jayne). Through his marriage to Edna, he also welcomed her children, Jeffrey and Jennifer, into his extended family. His family continued to grow through the generations, and he was blessed with seven grandchildren: Brody, Brandon, Jennifer, Mattie, Darrah, Adam, and Lynne, and four great-grandchildren: Amelia, Logan, Madilynn, and Miller.
Gail will be remembered for his entrepreneurial spirit, his love of gardening and conversation, and his joy in gathering with family and friends. Above all, his enduring legacy lives on through the family he cherished, the community he served, and the many lives he touched.
A graveside service for family and friends will be held at the LeLand Cemetery in Salisbury Cove on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 12:00 PM. There will be a celebration of life afterward at the Salisbury Cove Grange starting at 1:00 PM. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Island Connections in support of the Meals on Wheels program.
Dorene Kimball Mitchell
Bar Harbor & Brewer
Dorene Kimball Mitchell, 88, passed away peacefully on October 4, 2026, at Woodlands Senior Living Center in Brewer, Maine.
Born on March 23, 1938, in Bangor, Maine, Dorene was the daughter of Fred Emanuel Kimball and Katheryn Virginia Kimball. She spent much of her life in the Bar Harbor area, where she became known for her hard work, resilience, and devotion to her family and friends.
For more than twenty years, Dorene worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Summit House in Bar Harbor. Prior to her healthcare career, she worked as a waitress at several restaurants in the Bar Harbor area.
Dorene was a remarkably strong woman, both physically and mentally. She faced life’s challenges with courage and determination, including surviving a serious accident later in life.
Before moving to Woodlands Senior Living Center, Dorene was a resident of the Malvern Belmont Apartments in Bar Harbor, where she was a beloved and active member of the community.
She is survived by her three sons: Michael Wayne Mitchell and his wife, Janice, of Buxton, Maine; Scott Edward Mitchell of Bar Harbor, Maine; and Thomas Charles Mitchell of Sarasota, Florida. Dorene was predeceased by her former husband, Charles Edward Mitchell III.
She also leaves behind a cherished legacy through her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Michael and Janice’s daughter, Lindsay, resides in Pennsylvania with her three children, Aubrey, Taryn, and Callen. Thomas’s daughter, Holly, lives in Florida with her three children.
A memorial service and celebration of Dorene’s life will be held in the spring of 2027.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Dorene’s memory to the Dementia Society of America at www.dementiasociety.org.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
Matthew A. Cough
Ellsworth
Matthew A. Cough, 68, died October 10, 2026 at Maine Coast Hospital in Ellsworth, Maine. He was born October 8, 1958 in Bar Harbor, the son of L. Vincent and Marjorie L. (Walls) Cough. He was the 11th of 13 children.
Matt attended Mount Desert Island High School and Eastern Maine Technical College before serving several years in the U.S. Air Force. He later worked as a marine electrician, spending a number of years at Hinckley Yachts.
An outdoorsman at heart, Matt enjoyed hiking, biking, and walking throughout Acadia National Park and beyond. He had a deep love of music and attended many live concerts over the years. He also enjoyed spending time with friends and family at Fogtown Brewing Company.
Matt is survived by his two daughters Sarah J. Dedej, her husband Ermal and their daughter Annabelle A. Dedej, all of Arlington, VA, and Sydney M. Cough and her fiancé John C. Peterson of Washington, D.C.; sisters Mary Trella, Ann McCafferty and her husband Dale, Barbara Cough and her wife Marilyn; brothers Gregory Cough and his wife Carla, Timothy Cough and his wife Brenda, Dennis Cough, David Cough and his wife Linnie, Lawrence Cough and his wife Debbie, and Kevin Cough; the mother of his daughters Debbie Walsh; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents; sister Elaine Cousins; brothers Michael and Peter Cough; and wife Melissa Watership.
He was very dearly loved and will be greatly missed.
His family encourages all who desire to remember Matt to do so while buying their friends and family a beer at their local brewery or taking a nice long hike.
Those who desire may make contributions in Matt’s memory to https://friendsofacadia.org/.
A memorial service will be held at 10 am, Nov. 7, 2026 at Jordan-Fernald, 113 Franklin Street, Ellsworth.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
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