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Ellen Heath (Stevens) Staley
Date of Death: November 25, 2012
Date of Birth: November 28, 1917
Biography:
Ellen Heath (Stevens) Staley passed away November 25, 2012 at the Hill
House in Bath, Maine, three days shy of her 95th birthday surrounded
by her family and many friends.
She was born in Bath on November 28, 1917 to Hiram T. and Harriet
(MacDonald) Stevens.
She was educated in Bath Schools. Known as "Stevie" to her
Classmates at Morse High School, she graduated as the Vice President of her
class in 1935. In her yearbook, "Stevie" was affectionately and aptly
described by her peers in the following way: "Looks are sometimes
deceiving. Underneath that demure appearance there is just a bit of TNT".
That description would be evident throughout her entire life.
Ellen continued her education at Westbrook Junior College. She was May
Queen and also graduated as President of the class of 1938. She then enrolled
at the University of Maine, Orono and graduated in 1940 with a B.S, in Fine
Arts.
Her love of Arts and Crafts played a prominent role in all of her
lifelong endeavors. As chairman of the Bath Garden Club Yearbook Committee for
many years, she designed a cover that won first place in the national
competition. This award led to her writing and illustrating a comprehensive
book on flowers and sea life that was native to Popham Beach. She published Wildflowers
and Sea Creatures when she was 90 years old.
Ellen was instrumental in the formation Yankee Artisan that became a
retail outlet in Bath for area craftsman and in 1977, along with her good
friend, the late Maine Humorist, Marshall Dodge. She was responsible for the
bringing together of Maine’s creative spirit known as the Maine Festival
originally held at Bowdoin College each summer. However, Ellen always
considered her most important position was that of devoted wife and mother.
Ellen spent her childhood and summers at her beloved Popham Beach where
she belonged to the Popham Circle Ladies Group and also the Popham Beach
Improvement Association. In 1973, she originated and organized George Popham
Flare Night to raise money for the Popham Library and that event is still held
annually in August.
In 1965, Ellen married Phil Staley of Bath. They spent eleven years
together of which she would always proclaim were the happiest years of her
life. Phil died unexpectedly in 1976. For several years Ellen lobbied the State
Park Service and Governor Jim Longley to allow her to erect a flag pole at the
parking area at Fort Baldwin as a commemoration to her late husband. As a Park Ranger, Phil enjoyed many lunches
with Ellen at that site overlooking Atkins Bay. Her perseverance paid off and
the flagpole stands there today.
Along with her husband, Phil, Ellen was pre-deceased by her parents,
her brothers, Hiram Stevens of Boston, Robert Stevens and his wife, Roberta of
Woolwich and Popham, her sisters, Carol Burke and her husband, R.Pearson of
Augusta and Popham, and Jane Stevens of Popham.
She is survived by her daughters, Nancy Lebel and her husband, Ernest
of Gulfport, Florida and Popham, Sally Boucher and her husband Thomas of Dover,
N.H. and Popham, three granddaughters, a grandson, and several great grandsons
and many nieces.
The family would like to thank the staff at the HillHouse for their
continued love and care given to Ellen during the past two years.
A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at the Popham
Chapel in the summer of 2013, on a date to be announced.
