Patricia Ann Ropp. Lynne G. Bradford. Anne F. Wetzel. Robert “Bob” Stanwood. Sally C. Fernald. Ann L. Flewelling
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“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.
Patricia Ann Ropp
Bar Harbor
Patricia Ann Ropp began her journey to the next great adventure with her usual grace and determination, at home with her three loving children by her side, on Oct. 19, 2026.
Trish was born on March 27, 1947, in Truro, County Cornwall, England, to Capt. Henry Thomas and Mary Patricia Mill. At age 8, the family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia. A fourth-generation descendant of famed royal family portrait artist Polly Pearce, Trish attended the National Gallery of Victoria Art School. At 21, Trish emigrated to the States, landing in Terre Haute, Ind., where she met her beloved husband of 32 years, David Edwin Ropp. One of their first dates was to attend her brother’s wedding in Belize; however, Mother Nature had other plans and canceled their flights south. Already at the airport, Dave asked Trish where she wanted to go instead, and she replied she had always wanted to visit Bar Harbor; off they went, not knowing they would fall in love with Maine and each other on the way.
In 1987, and with their young family in tow, Trish and Dave moved to Hulls Cove. They opened the Golden Goose at 39 Main St., featuring Trish’s eye-catching designs, all silkscreened by hand. She later opened Art and Soul Island Gallery at 112 Main St., where she and her dear mum worked shoulder to shoulder, shared many laughs, and made many friends along the way.
After Dave and her mum died in February 2011, Trish closed up shop and poured her boundless energy into her Hulls Cove properties. She thrived on the extensive handywork and enjoyed hosting families as they created lifelong summer memories in Bar Harbor, just as she had with her family.
Many have accurately described Trish as a force of nature with a fearless spirit. She ran circles around most, and her creativity knew no end. Her most public-facing artwork appears on the signage at The Barnacle at 112 Main St., which she designed, carved, and painted.
Trish lives on proudly through her three children, whom she described as the joys of her life, Adam David Ropp, Andrew Edwin Ropp (Heather), and Mary Patricia Ropp, all of Bar Harbor; her darling grandchildren, Henry Andrew Ropp and Nelle Rosemary Ropp; her treasured younger brothers, Nigel Mill and Richard Mill (Therese) of London, England; her dear sister-in-law Celia Fines (Dallas) of Worthington, Ind.; nieces Stephanie Mill of London, England and Cynthia Jones (Brad) of Angola, Ind.; nephew Christopher (Lucie) of London, England; and very special friend of 14 years, Rick Williams, of Prospect Harbor.
There will be no formal service; Trish’s ashes will be where her heart lies, in Cornwall, Worthington, and Hulls Cove.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
Lynne G. Bradford
Bernard
Lynne G. Bradford, 76, passed away on Oct. 17, 2026, under the compassionate care of the staff of Birch Bay Village’s Safe Harbor in Bar Harbor. Nee Lynne Shelley Gardner, she was born on Oct. 18, 1949, in Houlton, Maine to Clyde “Holmes” and Elizabeth “Bette” (Gentle) Gardner.
Her early years were spent in Houlton near extended family, but the family soon relocated to Presque Isle, where Holmes opened Gardner’s Studio, House of Photography, on Academy Street. Younger brother Leslie Holmes Gardner joined the family in 1955. The family enjoyed an active family life, especially camp life at East Grand Lake and Drew’s Lake. Lynne attended Presque Isle High School, graduating in 1967. She fondly recalled being a “Rainbow Girl” and was named “Best Dressed” in her high school yearbook, a trend she’d carry forward through life. She attended Westbrook Junior College and graduated in 1969. Shortly thereafter, she married David John Dow, son of John and Helen Culberson Dow of Cedar Street at the Presque Isle Congregational Church. The couple started married life in Bangor, where Lynne worked briefly as secretary to William S. Cohen, subsequently Maine representative, senator, and Secretary of Defense. Lynne and David had two children, Melissa “Missy” and Jonathan “Jad” Dow and settled on Mount Desert Island before divorcing in 1974.
For most of her career, Lynne worked as the Personnel Director for the Henry R. Hinckley Company. She married her longtime love and domestic partner Russell V. “Rusty” Bradford in 1994, residing for decades in Bass Harbor with their five children before ultimately building a home together on Back Beach in Bernard. Known for her lighthearted, outgoing, and warm personality, Lynne was beloved by a large and socially active group of friends and especially by her close-knit girlfriends, whom she treasured. In addition to her friends, Lynne loved shopping, beachcombing for heart-shaped rocks and sea glass, and spending time with the 11 grandchildren she shared with Rusty. She was creative and loved taking photos, scrapbooking, and incorporating her beach finds into crafts. She served on the board of trustees of Harbor House and the Southwest Harbor Medical Clinic.
Lynne and Rusty spent much of their retirement at their home in Venice, Fla., and traveling abroad with friends. In her final years, Lynne was lovingly cared for by Rusty with help from her children and her very loyal friends.
She is survived by her husband, Rusty Bradford, her daughter Melissa and son-in-law William Cullina of Edgecomb, her son Jad and daughter-in-law Erica Dow of Southwest Harbor; stepdaughter Cyndi and Barry Deanis of Rumford, stepdaughter Vicki Bradford-Ghertler and Geoff Ghertler of Natick, Mass., stepdaughter Jennifer Bradford-Saucier and Michael Saucier of Winthrop; grandchildren William “Liam,” Maeve, and Ronan Cullina; Seth, Katherine “Katie, “and Claire Dow, Christopher Haynes, Lindsay Michalik, Eric Deanis, Gabrielle “Ellie” and Gavin Saucier; great-granddaughter Hannah Michalik; brother, Les Gardner and wife Nancy Ainsworth Gardner of Sturbridge, Mass., as well as several dear cousins, a niece, Jennifer Ballard Aselton, and two nephews, Ben Gardner and John Ballard.
A memorial service for Lynne will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 6, 2026 at the Somesville Union Meeting House, 1136 Main St. Mount Desert. A reception at the Harbor Ridge Resort in Southwest Harbor will follow at 12:30 p.m.
Gifts in her memory can be made to Harbor House, PO Box 836, Southwest Harbor or the Common Good Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry, PO Box 265, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679. Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
Anne F. Wetzel
Somesville
Anne F. Wetzel slept her way into heaven on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at the age of 88. The cause of death was old age. (Heart failure.) She was a resident of Foulkeways in Gwynedd Valley, Penn.
Following a career in the administration of the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Anne turned to photography and moved to Maine, to Somesville, on Mount Desert Island. She was deeply involved in Episcopal Church activities at St. John’s, Southwest Harbor, where she served on the vestry and edited the church publication. She travelled to China, taking her camera along.
She also co-authored, with the Rev. Janet Campbell “Through the Window of the Ordinary: Experiences of Holy Week,” a photographic book documenting the Episcopal liturgies of Holy Week. Serving as a member of the communications team at the of the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Communion in Canterbury England, she produced a poster which is celebrated around the world as a representation of Episcopal religious diversity.
For Anne, it was the small scenes that really fed her soul and made her feel the gentleness of that life. She never missed an opportunity to capture family gatherings and share these memories with the family in charming little albums. Her work appeared in galleries on Mount Desert Island.
She is survived by her sister, Phoebe, and her brother, Carroll, and their families. They will miss her sweetness and her contagious smile. She will be buried at St. Thomas Whitemarsh at a family graveside interment.
Any gifts should be sent to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 315 Main St., Southwest Harbor ME, 04579.
Robert “Bob” Stanwood
Southwest Harbor
Robert “Bob” Stanwood, 88, passed away on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. He was born on October 12, 1938, in Southwest Harbor, the son of Raleigh and Madeline Stanwood.
Bob graduated from Pemetic High School in 1956. He studied x-ray technology and emergency medical services, and earned his CNA certification in his 70s. He was a longtime employee of The Jackson Laboratory and served in the Maine House of Representatives.
Bob lived a life of service to others. He found joy in serving the Church and through volunteerism. A lifelong member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, he was known as “a Churchman,” a title given to those who carry forward the values and traditions of the faith community over many years. He was a devoted member of the Tremont Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite, and the Shriners, and found great purpose in seeing that the most vulnerable were served with compassion.
When he wasn’t working or helping others, he found solace in the great outdoors. He was an avid conservationist. Fishing, hunting, trail walking, bird watching, and traveling were some of his biggest passions. He documented his journeys in journals and painted pictures with words of sights and sounds that made one feel present alongside him even years later.
Indoors, he could be found resting in his favorite lounge chair, bouncing his leg to the rhythm of a classical symphony, while reading the paper or from his vast library of outdoorsman novels, with one of his many treasured cats curled up on his lap.
An incredible host, he could also be found whipping up feasts of traditional Downeast recipes passed down through the decades, though he smiled when he said he could never get his beloved mother’s biscuits and pie crusts quite right. To be invited to sit at Bob’s dinner table was a guarantee that you would be delighted with laughter, intellectual conversation, light debate, and a delicious meal.
Driven by an unquenchable thirst to explore, Bob traveled extensively through the Americas and the Caribbean. He often spoke of riding the train across Canada, awestruck by the scenery. Asked about the most beautiful place he had ever been, he would reminisce about the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, but Hawaii and Alaska held his heart. Whenever he was out and about, he wore his favorite Kona or Ketchikan cap.
Bob loved tradition and his family fiercely. One of his favorite annual events, the family reunion and lobster feed, brought together all the things he held dear: his people, food, and being in nature. As the years progressed, he was the centerpiece of these events, offering vivid and detailed stories and commentary that would hold everyone captive, once his lobster was finished, of course.
When the season of life started to wind down, Bob found it incredibly important to express to everyone that they were loved, deeply and profoundly. He never complained and never made anything about himself. He always turned the conversation toward the other person. “Tell everyone I love them,” he would say. And he meant it.
Bob was predeceased by his grandparents, great-grandparents, mother Madeline, father Raleigh, sisters Edith and Kathlyn, nephew Robert, granddaughter Icesis, and many aunts and uncles. Bob is survived, remembered, and loved by family, friends, and everyone who ever had a seat at his table. They are too numerous to name, and he held every one of them close.
A Celebration of Life will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 315 Main Street, Southwest Harbor, Maine, on Saturday, November 21, at 1 p.m. A brief graveside service for immediate family will follow, and a reception at the church will begin afterward.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Westside Food Pantry, PO Box 767, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
Sally C. Fernald
Camden and Southwest Harbor
Sally Carroll Fernald of Camden passed away peacefully at home on October 8, 2026, at the age of 93. She joins her beloved husband of 69 years, H. Allen Fernald, who predeceased her in 2025.
Sally grew up in Southwest Harbor as the oldest of five sisters. Her parents, Phillip T. Carroll and Melissa C. Farnham, owned the local drugstore that continues to serve Mount Desert Island. She graduated from the University of Maine in Orono with a bachelor’s degree in English, where she met her future husband, Allen, at a freshman mixer. He became the love of her life, and together they built a family and shared a wonderful life filled with love, laughter, purpose, and meaning.
Following college, Sally and Allen lived in several southern New England communities, where they began raising their family. In 1977, they purchased Down East magazine and moved to Rockport, embracing the Maine lifestyle they had always loved. Among their greatest pleasures, were boating adventures on Penobscot Bay and beyond aboard a succession of increasingly larger vessels, each named Salmagal. Sally and Allen enjoyed a rich social life in the Camden-Rockport community and traveled extensively throughout the world. They especially loved bringing family and friends together, and Sally delighted in entertaining. An extraordinary cook, she took great pleasure in planning and preparing meals, and could make the most delicious dishes seem effortless. Of all the things for which Sally will be remembered, one will certainly be her most distinctive cheerful laugh, a “sing-songy” falsettoish chime, that was always offered up generously with a joyful smile.
Sally devoted herself to her family while remaining actively involved in her community. She served on the board of the First Congregational Church in Camden and maintained a strong connection to the University of Maine as an active alumna. She also participated in P.E.O., the Garden Club, the Monday Club, the League of Women Voters, and numerous other organizations. While Allen and her family were always her greatest loves, reading was a close second. It would be difficult to find a biography, New York Times bestseller, or murder mystery that Sally had not read.
Sally is survived by her three children, Robert and his wife, Maxine, Thomas Fernald, and Melissa Fernald Koester. She also leaves six adoring grandchildren; and her sister, Judith Carroll Stockbridge, 92, of Blue Hill.
Sally left this world much as she lived in it – with dignity, happiness, and a deep sense of fulfillment, surrounded by the family she loved.
A memorial service celebrating Sally’s life will be announced in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shields Mission Fund, c/o First Congregational Church UCC, 55 Elm St., Camden, ME 04843. Arrangements are with Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain St., Camden. Condolences and memories may be shared at longfuneralhomecamden.com.
Ann L. Flewelling
Sedgwick
Ann L. Flewelling, 82, died October 23, 2026, at her home. She was born on October 30, 1943, the daughter of Leo and Lila (Carvell) Flewelling.
Ann grew up on a potato farm in Crosville, Maine. A dedicated student, she graduated as valedictorian of Washburn High School in Washburn, Maine. She went on to pursue her passion for helping others by attending nursing school at Maine Medical Center in Portland, graduating as a registered nurse in 1964.
Ann began her nursing career at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, where she worked for several years. She later moved to Georgia, where she earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgia College for Women in Milledgeville. After moving to Atlanta, she worked at Grady Memorial Hospital while continuing her education. She earned her master’s degree and began directing the Physician Assistance Program at Emory University. Ann went on to earn her Ph.D. from Georgia State University in Atlanta and later worked for Georgia Highlands as a clinical director, overseeing residential placements and counseling individuals. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Ann enjoyed writing and photography. She published several books in collaboration with Marnie Crowell, reflecting her creative interests and love of expression.
In 1992, Ann met Charles S. Read through a connection made by a friend’s father, who knew a woman living in the woods and described her as very nice. That introduction began a relationship that would become an important part of Ann’s life. Ann and Charles were married on July 31, 1995, at the Children’s Garden in Rockland, Maine.
Ann continued working in private practice, and she and Charles eventually made their home in Sedgwick on the Bagaduce River.
Ann is survived by her beloved husband of 31 years, Charles S. Read; two brothers, Richard Flewelling of Freeport and Robert Flewelling of Kensington, California; a sister, Sally Derrenbacher of Kennebunkport; and three nieces.
At Ann’s request, there will be no services.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
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