George Milroy Marshall Jr.

George Milroy Marshall Jr., 92, of Orland, Maine, died on May 7, 2012, at his home on the shores of Alamoosook Lake after recent recoveries at St. Joseph’s Hospital and rehabilitations at Maine Veterans’ Home in Bangor. In his final days, the family was caringly assisted by Hancock County HomeCare and Hospice. George remained intellectually curious, an adventurous traveler, family genealogist, and a man with a big heart under the surface of his sea-worthy resolution until the last days of his life. In his retirement years he mastered the game of bridge and instructed beginners. He claimed he was a young man trapped in an old man’s body. For many summers prior to 2005 and year-round for the last seven years of his life he enjoyed boating, swimming, working outdoors, and hosting family gatherings at his lake property.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1919, he was inspired by his sea captain grandfather and went to sea at the age of 17. From 1938 to 1946 he served in the United States Merchant Marine on ships operated by the United States Lines, American President Lines and American Export Lines before, during and after World War II, rising from deck cadet to U.S. Coast Guard Master of unlimited ocean going vessels. He graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point in the class of 1942. In 1944 he was appointed to first command of the ship SS Charles Carroll at the age of 24, one of the youngest shipmasters to have served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. He continued to serve in the National Reserve of the U.S. Navy, 1946-1950.

Captain Marshall completed his undergraduate degree at New York University. During his business career he advanced to senior vice president of the Atlantic Mutual Insurance and Centennial Insurance Companies in charge of the international insurance operations in Canada, England, Belgium, Holland and Mexico. After early retirement he joined the staff of the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, serving as special assistant to the superintendent as well as Director of Development, Director of Placement, Director of the Cadet Shipping Training Program, the First Director of the Center of Advanced Maritime Studies and Chairman of the Development Council. Following his second retirement he served as a SCORE volunteer in both Bangor and Ellsworth offices.

While in Maine he valued his membership in the Trinitarian Congregational Parish Church of Castine, serving as trustee leading the restructuring of church governance; the St. Andrews Society of Maine as an annual observer of the Highland Games; the Alamoosook Lake Association; and provided charitable consulting work for organizations such as the Cancer Support Center of Maine in Bucksport.

Captain Marshall was predeceased by his beloved wife of 60 years, Katherine Weaver Ebbert Marshall. He is survived by his son, James Wainwright Marshall of Sonoma, Calif., daughter, Katherine Marshall Greenman and son-in-law, John F. Greenman of Old Town, Maine; granddaughter, Margaret Greenman Burman, grandson-in-law, Michael A. Burman and great-granddaughters, Adeline Lillie and Calla Elizabeth of Saco, Maine; grandson, Gregory James Burnham Greenman of San Francisco, Calif.

The family suggests that memorial donations be made to the Maine Maritime Academy Student Scholarship Endowment Fund c/o Maine Maritime Academy Development Office, Pleasant Street, Castine, ME 04420, in memory of Captain George M. Marshall.

Edward Boynton Watts

DEER ISLE, Maine and PORT RICHEY, FLA.—Edward Boynton Watts, 88, went with the Lord at his winter home on May 6, 2012. Born in Stonington, Maine, September 13, 1923, he was the son of Russell Raymond Watts and Bina Small Watts and grandson (x4) of Nathaniel Robbins. He was preceded in death by his brother Robert Raymond Watts.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Edith (Goldie) Spofford Watts R.N., daughters Deborah R. Watts, RN of Port Richey, Fla. and Brewer, Maine, and Susan G. Watts C.R.N.A. of Lincolnville, Maine and Port Richey, Fla., and Susan’s husband, a very special son-in-law, Daniel Jacobs; granddaughter, Michele Sprague Tepper, and her husband Stephen Tepper and great-grandsons, Jack Watts Tepper and James Sprague Tepper all of Shrewsbury, Mass. He is also survived by sisters, Dorothy Pagliarulo, and her husband, Pete Pagliarulo and Mildred Kelley of Bristol, Conn., along with several nieces and nephews.

Edward pursued a long career in electronic engineering and felt privileged to be in the RCA labs as radar was being developed in the early 1940s.

Along came WWII, and answering his country’s call, he was commissioned in the U.S. Merchant Marine as Chief Radio Operator serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific war zones. He was assigned to the liberty ship Joseph A. Wheeler supplying ammunition to the battlefront at Anzio and Naples, Italy. Transferring to another ship in the fall of 1943 he escaped death in Bari, Italy, in the most disastrous bombing attack against allied ships during the war when 17 ships were bombed and sunk, including the Joseph Wheeler, and all went down with their ships.

In January 1944, arriving at the battlefront at Anzio, Italy, loaded with ammunition, his ship was in a collision during a storm with another vessel, ramming and slicing through his ship at the waterline and into his stateroom. Orders were received to plug the hole with mattresses and proceed up the coast to the warfront at Naples, Italy, where ammunition was desperately needed.

Following WWII, Edward returned to RCA Victor Corp. as an electronics engineer and was assigned to bases in the U.S. Air Force strategic air command indoctrinating the military on the use of the fire control system on the newly deployed B-52 bombers. This included bases at Limestone, Maine, Everett, Wash., Springfield, Miss., Warner Robins Ga., Newport News, Va. and Oklahoma City, Ok.

In the late 1950s Edward saw the development and emergence of space technology, and the Atlas missile was becoming the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile in America’s nuclear arsenal and the beginning of the U.S. space program. Rapid prototyping and development occurred with Atlas missile sites being constructed across the country by the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command. The project became the number one priority in the country as it attained “National Priority” status. The excitement of this new world of missiles overwhelmed Edward and he joined American Bosch Arma Corp specializing in the guidance control system of the Atlas Project. He then participated in the installation and activation of projects at Forbes Air Force Base, Topeka, Kansas and Plattsburg A.F. Base, N.Y. In 1961 he became East Coast manager of Atlas Missile Bases.

On retiring from engineering in 1964, he settled in Camden, Maine, where he and his wife, a registered nurse, owned and operated the Camden Nursing Home Association and served on its board of directors. He was one of five founding fathers establishing the Maine Nursing Home Administrators Association, developing its by-laws and writing the exam required for membership. He holds the number 1 membership license. He was appointed Maine’s delegate to the National Nursing Home Administrators Association and traveled extensively to its varied functions.

Together with five friends and associates he owned and operated the Camden Lok Marina, first of its kind of facility in the nation offering safe mooring for yachts up to 42 feet long with full dry dock service and harborside-street level docking space.

Edward was a private pilot flying one summer round trip from Georgia to Maine in his Luscomb with multiple emergency landings in abandoned remote race tracks as well as cow pastures when inclement weather grounded him. Edward loved the sea and spent many summers cruising the Maine Coast with his wife Edith in their sport fisherman, the Shelly K, named for granddaughter Michele, and he looked forward with great anticipation to participating in the annual Maine Baily Island Tuna tournament.

Hunting season took them annually to the north Maine woods for partridge hunting, the Penobscot Bay islands for sea duck hunting and southern Maine for deer.

He traveled the world over and did extensive genealogical research in Scotland and England.

Edward was an active ham radio amateur all his life receiving his original license at age 17 in November 1940 with original call sign of W1NAE, later W1HS. At the age of 11 years in 1934, he built his first operational transmitter with old spare parts. He was an active member of the American Radio Relay League and an accredited examiner.

He was a lifetime member of Society of Wireless Pioneers, First Class Radio Telegraph operator, ship radar endorsement radio telephone operator to operate license for radio station, first class amateur extra radio-telephone operators privileges. He belonged to the Ten-Ten International and the Quarter Century Wireless Association.

Edward received appointment by Gov. Kenneth Curtis as Dedimaus Justice and served as Hancock County’s Dedimaus for 40+ years. He was also a Justice of the Peace and Notary.

Edward held memberships in the Maine Lodge No. 122 AF&AM, Deer Isle, Maine; Acadia Chapter No. 31 RA of Ellsworth, Maine; The Royal Arch Chapter of Maine; the Blanquefort Commandary No. 013 Knights Templar, Ellsworth, Maine; Scottish Rite Bodies Valley of Rockland and also Kansas City, Missouri; Anah Temple Asonms of Bangor, Maine; Harbor View Chapter 136 Eastern Star, Deer Isle, Maine. He was a member of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Boothbay Harbor and Rockland, Maine yacht clubs and the National Rifle Association.

During the past 40 years he and his wife have enjoyed winters at their Florida home and summers at Osprey Point, Deer Isle.

A private celebration of Edward’s life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, 516 Caren Street, Springfield, Mass. 01101.

Ruby Strout Howard

HARBORSIDE—Ruby Strout Howard, 92, died May 9, 2012, at an Ellsworth healthcare facility. She was born in Harrington, April 13, 1920, the daughter of Ansel and Viola (Kennedy) Strout.

Ruby attended school in Harrington and graduated from Harrington High School.

She married Robert Howard Sr. and they raised four children. They farmed together and raised hens. Ruby also worked at a wreath factory and raked blueberries. She belonged to the Brooksville Snowmobile Club which she loved and usually was head of the pack.

She is survived by son, Alan Howard, and wife Diantha, of Grand Isle, Vt.; daughter, Jane Sawyer, and partner, Molly Boring, of Harborside; special daughter-in-law, Sally Howard of Bucksport; 10 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; sister, Jeanette Wright of Ellsworth; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Robert; sons, Robert Jr. and Paul Howard; brothers, Derwood and Preston Strout; and sister, Virginia Kennedy

A graveside service was held Thursday, May 17, 2012, at Evergreen Cemetery, Harborside, with Rev. Sara H. Huisjen. Those who desire may make contributions in Ruby’s memory to Hancock County HomeCare & Hospice, P.O. Box 156, Blue Hill, ME 04614.

Arrangements by Jordan-Fernald, 141 South St. Blue Hill.

Condolences may be expressed at jordanfernald.com.