Remembering Ed Stevenson at the ALF Gala

Ed Stevenson of ALF’s Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses was remembered during the American Lighthouse Foundation’s annual Gala, which was held at the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine, on May 4, 2025. Ed sadly passed away in September 2024. The following tribute was written by Jeremy D’Entremont of FPHL’s Chapter Leadership Committee:

The American Lighthouse Foundation wishes to remember and honor the dedication and contributions of volunteer Ed Stevenson…

Ed Stevenson’s association with Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses began in August 2009, when he took part in a nighttime ghost hunt event. He was instantly captivated by Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and loved having the opportunity to be there at night. He soon became a member and by 2011 he was volunteering. It didn’t take long for him to become indispensable, and in 2013 he received the Len Hadley Volunteer Award as the chapter’s volunteer of the year.

Over the next several years, Ed volunteered at virtually every one of the Sunday open houses at Portsmouth Harbor Light. He was always one of the first to arrive for setup, and he enjoyed speaking to the visitors during the open houses about the history of the lighthouse and its keepers.

Ed was usually in the lantern room, where he shared stories of Joshua Card, Connie Small, and other memorable personalities from the light station’s past. He also enjoyed telling visitors about the still active Fresnel lens. Ed spent so much time in the lantern room that some of us have suggested, only half-jokingly, that we rename it the Ed Stevenson Memorial Lantern Room.

Ed was a major part of work crews at Portsmouth Harbor Light over the years and was involved with painting, repairs, and much more. He quietly did whatever needed doing, things like repairing the hinges on the lighthouse door, installing new doors on a storage shed, repairing the metal cap on the oil house roof, replacing a glass pane in a window in the lighthouse tower, painting the lighthouse inside and out, and much more. He always did these things with a quiet yet positive demeanor.

For anyone who visited the area near Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor during the week, it was a familiar sight to see Ed walking his dog Indy near the gate to the station. It was obvious that Indy loved the place as much as Ed did.

In recent years, Ed and his wife Bobbie moved to Ohio to be closer to their grandchildren. The rest of the chapter volunteers missed him greatly, but we stayed in touch via email and occasional Zoom calls. Ed stayed involved by taking over the responsibility of maintaining our membership records, and he became a member of our Chapter Leadership Committee. He was happy to help wherever he could, even though he wished he could have been closer.

Ed had a long career working in IT for the Demoulas Market Basket company, and he would get up every day at 3 a.m. to go to work. He continued to be an early riser after retirement and his emails were often sent at 4 or 5 a.m.

In his earlier years, Ed was a sergeant in the Air Force and served as a Para Rescue airman in Vietnam. He received a Purple Heart for his actions. After receiving a degree in Zoology, he worked at Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, FL, for ten years before moving to New Hampshire. He maintained a deep love of nature and animals all his life. He was also an avid gardener.

After moving to Ohio, Ed put in well over 1,000 hours volunteering for Five Rivers Metro Parks. In 2024 he received the Serve Ohio Award from the governor.

On September 10, 2024, Ed made a donation to Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses that paid for the food at our volunteer picnic. He passed away just two days later. The volunteers attending the picnic felt Ed’s presence that day, and we will always feel his presence when we think of our beloved lighthouse.

Ed was one of those quiet, everyday heroes who make their presence felt by being helpful, never seeking the spotlight, and being a friend to all who knew him. Ed Stevenson is truly missed—both as a dedicated volunteer, and as a friend to all who knew him.