James S. Barstow, III, 79

Tenants Harbor, Maine

James S. “Jim” Barstow, III, longtime captain and owner of Monhegan Boat Line, passed away unexpectedly on June 7, following a brief illness.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sept. 21, 1943, Jim was the firstborn child of Margaret and James S. Barstow II. His childhood home was Brooklyn, New York, where his father was editor for the “New York Herald Tribune.” In stark contrast to the streets and culture of New York City, he spent every summer on Monhegan Island, Maine, which offered an abundance of nature and hard work on the ocean.

Summers on Monhegan nurtured a deep and lasting love of the ocean, and Jim was happy to attend high school aboard the John W. Brown, a maritime training ship berthed in New York Harbor where he was an active member of the crew team. Run much like the military, he thrived and excelled in the structure and discipline, graduating in 1961. After high school, Jim joined the merchant marines, working on tug boats and eventually tankers for Mobil Oil. Deeply entrenched in the community and life on Monhegan, he frequently returned there to work when he was on leave from shipping. It was there he met his love and partner in life, Judith Partridge. He was waiting for an island ferry called the Laura B to arrive, and when she hove into view there Judy was, on her bow. This was the first time Jim laid eyes on her. After a summer of romance and a year for Judy to finish college, they were married on July 17, 1965. It was then he decided to come ashore for good and went to school for carpentry in New York, graduating in June 1966.

Jim worked in construction for a time with his family and beloved Uncle Warren Kestler, before he started a construction business, Monhegan, Inc. At this time he and Judy settled in Rochester, New York, to start their family. They welcomed sons David and then Andy, followed by their daughter Karen before deciding to move to Maine to raise their children. They bought the Ocean House Hotel in Port Clyde, their first business venture together that would set them on a path of owning and operating businesses together throughout their lives. Their fourth child, Jennifer, was born and their family was complete. In 1976 the Laura B came up for sale and with Judy by his side, Jim would begin to realize his dream of owning and operating the ferry service to Monhegan Island. He would forevermore be Captain Jimmy Barstow, a warm and welcoming sight to all who came to the dock in Port Clyde for almost 50 years.

An avid reader and ever a student of life, Jim was a walking encyclopedia of facts about boats, camping, history, construction, you name it; he had something interesting to say about it. He loved to tell stories, to put people at ease, make them laugh and inform them. He was a guiding light and his easy laughter, stories, and his warm and welcoming nature will be forever missed.