Tag Archives: Ralph W. Stanley
Legendary Boat Builder Ralph W. Stanley of Southwest Harbor has passed away
Ralph Warren Stanley, 92, died unexpectedly Dec. 7, 2021, at Mount Desert Island Hospital. He was born Feb. 9, 1929, in Bar Harbor, the son of Chester W. and Bertha E. (Robinson) Stanley. Ralph graduated from Pemetic High School, Class of 1948. After graduation, he attended Ricker Jr. College, where he obtained an associate degree in business. After college, he worked as ship’s hand for Captain Neil Peterson on the Niliraga owned by Gano Sillick Dunn, and after Mr. Dunn’s death he became captain of the Niliraga for Mrs. Florence Montgomery. In the winters, he was often found building fishing boats for area fishermen. Some of these are still in use. >click to read< 07:14
NEA Statement on the Death of National Heritage Fellow Ralph W. Stanley
It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the passing of Master Boatbuilder Ralph W. Stanley, recipient of a 1999 NEA National Heritage Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. From Maine’s Mt. Desert Island, Stanley descends from a long line of mariners who first settled on the island around 1760. Stanley grew up in Southwest Harbor where commercial fishing boats and pleasure boats have always been a prominent part of the local landscape. >click to read< 07:57
