Benjamin Blaney

Ellsworth
Benjamin Blaney, 84, died peacefully at Safe Harbor, Birch Bay Village in Bar Harbor, Maine, on October 21, 2024, surrounded by loved ones. Ben was born on September 6, 1940, in Weston, Massachusetts, to David and Marjorie (Leatherbee) Blaney.
Ben graduated from Colby College, earned his master's at Middlebury College, and then his doctorate degree from the University of Colorado. He taught for 29 years at Mississippi State University in Starkville, where Ben and his first wife, Virginia Metzler Blaney, raised their three sons. He was highly regarded as Professor Emeritus of Germanic Philology. After his retirement in 2001, Ben moved to Bar Harbor with Ginny. Sadly, she passed away in 2011.
Ben continued his love of teaching at Acadia Senior College. He has the distinction of having taught twenty-eight popular courses over the years. The core of his curriculum, which he loved teaching (as much as his students loved learning), was "The Sagas of the Icelanders."
Ben felt fortunate to have so many loves in his life, besides his family and the two women whom he cherished among them baseball and Ironbound Island. On Ironbound you would find him working outdoors chopping wood, felling trees, hiking, and taking time to read John Gould books. He loved to sing, in a most heavenly tenor voice, the songs of Ironbound Island. Family loved gathering for lobsters on the beach (instead, Ben chose his favorite hamburger or steak) and singing the songs they learned as children. Recently, he had the opportunity to sing those songs during Musical Therapy classes at Safe Harbor at Birch Bay. Ben was also a member of the choir at Bar Harbor Congregational Church. He loved taking part in the Christmas Living Nativity, usually as one of the wise men a most fitting role for him to play.
In his memory, enjoy music and singing with loved ones, play dominoes, read the Icelandic Sagas. Please consider a donation to the Bar Harbor Congregational Church backpack program and to Acadia Senior College.
Ben is survived by his loving wife, Ruth Anne Rossi of Ellsworth; his sister, Edith (Blaney) Greene; son, Weston and fiancé, Meg Geminden; son, William and wife, Heather Giler; and son, Edward. He was the proud grandfather of Carys Blaney of Austin, Texas. His brother, John Blaney, and sister, Joy (Blaney) Patten, predeceased him. Ben is also survived by many Blaney, Patten, and Greene nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A memorial service will be held at a later date in the Spring.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com