Matthew S. Tate. Sally Clark. Elizabeth “Lily” (McEldowney) Hall.
Dec 07, 2025
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.
Matthew S. Tate
Bar Harbor
Matthew S. Tate of Phoenix, Ariz., passed away on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, after a short illness. He is the son of Michael Tate and Joanne Tate. He was born on Sept. 3, 1969, in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Matthew received his diploma from Mount Desert Island H.S. and went on to pursue a career in carpentry and fine woodworking. As a teenager, Matthew spent time with his good friend Chris White learning carpentry skills at R.L. White & Sons. Matthew applied those skills throughout his life and had constructed many beautiful pieces of custom furniture. He was a hard worker and very creative and took pride in what he made.
He left Maine eventually and moved to Arizona for many years. While there, he received employee of the year while working at the Hyatt in Phoenix, where he was recognized for his innovative ideas and work ethic.
He returned to Maine in 2019 and became employed with Hinckley Boats in Trenton, where his fine woodworking skills were much appreciated. He loved his job there.
He decided to move back to Phoenix in April 2025 to be with his beloved partner, Paula Bishop. They enjoyed seven beautiful months together before his passing.
He was predeceased by his father, Michael Tate, and birth mother, Joanne Tate. Matt is survived by his siblings Leslie Mark of Dover, N.H., Stephanie Walsh of Benton, Maine, and Tiffany Tate of Ellsworth, Maine, as well as Sonny Tate. He also has many nieces and nephews who will sadly miss their Uncle Matt.
Matthew was a funny and intelligent person, and those who knew him enjoyed his sense of humor and gregarious ways. May he rest in peace. There are no services planned at this time.
Sally Clark
Southwest Harbor
Sally Clark, a longtime summer resident of Southwest Harbor, Maine, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Nov. 25, 2025, at the age of 103. Sally embraced life fully, bringing joy and warmth to everyone she met. She was deeply loved by family and friends throughout her remarkable life.
She will be profoundly missed by her four children, Ted and Jim Shaw and Betci Weldon of Massachusetts, and Sam Shaw of Northeast Harbor, her five grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. Sally was predeceased by her cherished granddaughter Hannah and her three husbands, Bill Shaw, Arthur Bedell, and Tom Clark. She also leaves behind numerous in-laws, stepchildren, nieces, nephews, and an extended circle of family and friends who were an important part of her life.
Sally had a curious mind and wanted to finish her education interrupted by WWII, completing her undergraduate degree in fine art when she was 51, an interest she continued throughout her life. She had a gift for hospitality — she thought nothing of hosting 30 guests for brunch in her cozy apartment and delighted in gathering friends for Super Bowl parties whenever the Patriots played. A true lover of the outdoors, she was an avid gardener and enjoyed tennis, sailing, hiking, skiing, and horseback riding throughout her life. Always ready for adventure, Sally spent most of a year going around the world as a chaperone for “A Semester at Sea.” She enjoyed cruising with her husband Arthur aboard their Hinckley 49, L’eveque. In her seventies, she and her husband Tom even took five grandchildren to Alaska, where they reveled in its natural beauty and went whitewater rafting.
In later years, Sally enjoyed weekly bridge games and spirited online rounds of Oh Hell. She remained a passionate sports fan, especially of Wimbledon, the Triple Crown, and her beloved Patriots. She was an active member of Footloose Friends, the Causeway Club, and the Southwest Harbor Fleet.
A memorial service will be held this summer to celebrate Sally’s long and happy life. Donations in her memory may be made to Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory or Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
Elizabeth “Lily” (McEldowney) Hall
Bar Harbor
Elizabeth “Lily” (McEldowney) Hall, 90, of Bar Harbor, Maine, died peacefully surrounded by loving family members on Nov. 21, 2025, at Seal Cove Assisted Living in Ellsworth. She was born Oct. 7, 1935, in the village of Ballymagaraghy, County Donegal, Ireland. Raised by her loving mother, Elizabeth McEldowney, Lily attended school in Carrowmenagh. In 1952, as a brave teenager, Lily traveled across the Atlantic to the New York City area in the United States. She was welcomed with open arms by her mother’s sister, Margaret Bracken; two of her brothers who came to the states ahead of her; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Initially she found employment as the personal maid to a wealthy family and traveled with them to their homes in the New York City area, Palm Beach, Fla., and Bar Harbor, Maine. She enjoyed living with this kindhearted family and the exciting adventures afforded her. During one of those summer stays in Bar Harbor, she met Lawrence “Larry” Hall Jr. They fell in love and were subsequently married on Dec 10, 1955. Bar Harbor then became her permanent home. Over the next 10 years, she and Larry welcomed four children. They were devoted parents, attending endless sporting events & activities; getting together with other families for Sunday cookouts at Hadley Point, Thompson Island or the camp at Donnell Pond; and opening their door to all their children’s friends. Lily — always the consummate hard worker and caring individual — worked at local nursing homes in the early years of her marriage and then she operated her own home daycare where she welcomed numerous children over the years, all of whom she treated as lovingly as her own. In 1974, she joined The Jackson Lab and worked there until her retirement in 1998.
Lily enjoyed going to camp at Donnell Pond, dancing, attending the annual Hayseeders’ Ball, playing cards, cooking, and visiting with family and friends. The annual gathering at her home on the 4th of July was always something she looked forward to. Lily was a member of St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church. She was especially proud to receive her Certificate of Naturalization on March 16, 1995, in Bangor, Maine, and honored to receive The Jackson Lab Community Award in 1994. Her favorite moments in life were always those spent with family and friends. Her pride and joy were her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her beloved husband, Larry.
Lily is survived by her four children: Betty Dugan and husband Jeffrey of Bloomfield, Conn., Jeff Hall of Bar Harbor, Maine, Robert Hall and wife Julie of Trenton, Maine, Judy McGinn and fiancé Tom Robertson of Bucksport, Maine: grandchildren: Kate Greenbacker and husband Charlie, Michael Thornton, Danielle Graffius and husband Ben, Andrew Hall, Brittany Tyner and husband Andy, Jonathan Hall, Nolan Hall, Sean McGinn, and Heather McGinn; great-grandchildren: Taylor Thornton, Ella and Erinne Graffius, Chase, Andrew, Emma & James Greenbacker, and Jack and William Tyner. She also leaves her sister-in-law, Nancy Dorsey and husband David, former daughter-in-law Brenda Sprague, former son-in-law Sepp McGinn, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband of 67 years, Lawrence Vernon Hall Jr. in 2022; her mother Elizabeth McEldowney; her 3 brothers William McEldowney (Mary), Robert McEldowney, and James McEldowney (Lucy). Also, her father- and mother-in-law Lawrence and Edna (Hardison) Hall, sister-in-law, Venessa McKay (Charles Raymond), former son-in-law, Steven Thornton.
A celebration of life and graveside service will be held at Bayview Cemetery in Franklin in the spring.
Those wishing to honor Lily’s memory in a special way may contribute to St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church, 41 Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor, ME 04609 or MDI YMCA, 21 Park St., Bar Harbor, ME 04609. Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
Lily will be missed by the many people whose lives she touched. Without a doubt, she earned very special Angel wings. Fly high with Larry now … May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back.