Wed, 12/12/2018 - 2:45pm

William Bull Wellington

William Wellington, age 63, of Rockport, Maine, passed peacefully on Saturday, December 8, 2018, at the Maine Medical Center in Portland.

Bill was born December 18, 1954, in New York City, the beloved son of Patricia and Herbert Wellington, Jr., and younger brother to Charles and James Wellington. He attended Greenvale School, Rectory School, The Grove School, and LIU Post, and graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a B.A. in psychology.

While in New Brunswick, Bill became involved with the Atlantic Salmon Federation. He fell in love with the Maritime Provinces, and then with Catherine Gausden, whom he married August 27, 1976. With Kate, he had his daughter, Robin, and his son, Michael. After Kate’s premature death from cancer in 1984, he was a caring father to his children.

He married their stepmother, Marilyn Gautreau, on August 18, 1989. Following many years racing sailboats, serving as Commodore of the Canadian power and seal squadron, and performing transatlantic deliveries, Bill and Marilyn bought a Bristol sailboat named Indigo. And with that, they were indigo, indigoing, indigone on an adventure throughout the Caribbean. After Bill and Marilyn parted ways, he settled in Rockland, Maine, with his dear friend and former partner, Belle Crane. He later retired to Rockport, Maine.

Besides being an expert sailor, Bill was an excellent tennis player, a great cook, and an accomplished guitarist. More important than his talents, however, were his qualities of passion and generosity. Whether it was the Rothesay Tennis Club racquet- in-a-tree trophy named after him (for sportsmanship), his insistence that friends are always family (especially 200 of them at a Christmas party), or simply a kind ear and a drink, Bill lived with enthusiasm and big-heartedness. He had an endless repertoire of jokes and delighted in sharing them.

He is survived by his daughter, Robin; his son, Michael; his brother, James; and his niece, Emily.

He will be in our hearts and thoughts forever. We hope that you’ll share a good joke with us in his memory.

A memorial reception for Bill Wellington will be held on Saturday, December 15 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Midcoast Recreation Center at 535 West St, Rockport, ME 04856.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made to the Midcoast Recreation Center. He was grateful for the friends that he made and the community that he found there.