Longtime Bath Lawyer and Community Advocate Carl Stinson Dies at 83
Carl Skip Stinson of Bath, a lawyer whose practice served the community for nearly five decades, died on November 23, 2025. His death marks the loss of a civic leader and trusted counselor, and the family has asked for donations to local care organizations in his memory.
Carl "Skip" Stinson, a Bath native and fixture of the local legal community, died on November 23, 2025. He practiced law in Bath from 1968 until 2015, building a career that intertwined legal service with civic involvement and a deep attachment to Maine's outdoors and waterways.
A graduate of Boston University School of Law, Stinson served in the Peace Corps before settling into private practice. Over nearly five decades he developed long standing relationships with clients across Sagadahoc County, earning a reputation for steady counsel and community engagement. Those connections, and his participation in local civic life, are part of a legacy that neighbors and colleagues say shaped everyday life in Bath.
Stinson was known for his affection for Maine and for spending time in the woods and on the water, interests that reflected the rhythms of the region he served. His obituary notes a lifetime of community involvement and a commitment to clients that extended well beyond the courtroom and office.
He is survived by his wife Lucy Eliott Bygrave, his children Paul W. Stinson and Lucy E. Tshuka, and grandchildren. A celebration of life is planned for spring, offering the community an opportunity to gather and remember his decades of service and presence.
The family has requested that memorial contributions be made to CHANS Home Health and Hospice or HillHouse. Those organizations provide local care and support services for residents and families, and contributions in his memory will support community health and end of life care that matter deeply to Sagadahoc County.
Stinson's death leaves a gap in the local legal and civic landscape, removing a familiar advocate for many households and small businesses. As neighbors and former clients reflect on his years of practice and civic work, his passing prompts attention to the networks of care and counsel that sustain small communities, and to the local providers who step in to support families during transitions.
