William David Verrill (1928–2026)
To the Bowdoin community,
It is with sadness that I share the news that Bowdoin College Overseer Emeritus W. David Verrill, Class of 1950, passed away on February 18 in Scarborough, Maine, at the age of 97. David’s connections and contributions to Bowdoin and to the Maine communities in which he lived reflected his commitment to a life of service.
The youngest of twelve children, David was born in Saco, Maine, in 1928. He was a standout athlete, four-year honor student, and class leader at Thornton Academy in Saco, and he later became a founding director of the Thornton Academy Alumni Association. At Bowdoin, David majored in economics and government and was a member of the varsity baseball team.
After graduating, David was hired by Maine National Bank, then known as First Portland National Bank. Beginning as a trainee, he worked his way through the organization. Along the way, he earned a graduate certificate from the American Institute of Banking in 1958 and received a diploma in commercial banking from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University in 1961. In 1984, he became president and CEO of Maine National Bank and retired as chairman in 1990, after a thirty-nine-year career.
David was a loyal and engaged Bowdoin alumnus, serving as president of the Knox-Lincoln-Waldo Alumni Club, as an at-large member of the Alumni Council, and as a capital campaign volunteer. He was elected to the Board of Overseers in 1980, and was a member of the Executive Committee, the Computing Center Committee, and the Physical Plant Committee, for which he served as chair. He was voted an overseer emeritus in 1986. I am told that his love for Bowdoin was palpable in any conversation with him.
Throughout his life, David shared his talents and energies in support of the common good. On the state level, David was director, treasurer, and chair of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce; he was a member of the State of Maine Governor’s Task Force on Higher Education, a member of the Governor’s Trade Mission to the United Kingdom, and an incorporator of the Maine Medical Center. In Rockland, he was the president of the Kiwanis Club, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and trustee, treasurer, and president of the Pen Bay Medical Center. In Portland, he was a board member for the Salvation Army, a member of the Portland Affordable Housing Committee, and treasurer of the Intown Portland Associates.
David was predeceased by his wife, Anna (née Gribizis), whom he married in 1948; his son, Ted ’71; a daughter-in-law, Florence Joy Newcomb; and a grandson, Gordon. He is survived by his sons Dana ’72, Thomas, Jeffrey, and David ’83 and each of their spouses; eight grandchildren, including Emma ’10; and five great-grandchildren.
A public memorial service, followed by a reception, is planned at the Falmouth UCC Church, 267 Falmouth Road, Falmouth, Maine, at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 27, 2026.
My thoughts are with David’s friends and loved ones. I am grateful for all of his support for Bowdoin and for the Maine communities he served so well.
Sincerely,
Safa
It is with sadness that I share the news that Bowdoin College Overseer Emeritus W. David Verrill, Class of 1950, passed away on February 18 in Scarborough, Maine, at the age of 97. David’s connections and contributions to Bowdoin and to the Maine communities in which he lived reflected his commitment to a life of service.
The youngest of twelve children, David was born in Saco, Maine, in 1928. He was a standout athlete, four-year honor student, and class leader at Thornton Academy in Saco, and he later became a founding director of the Thornton Academy Alumni Association. At Bowdoin, David majored in economics and government and was a member of the varsity baseball team.
After graduating, David was hired by Maine National Bank, then known as First Portland National Bank. Beginning as a trainee, he worked his way through the organization. Along the way, he earned a graduate certificate from the American Institute of Banking in 1958 and received a diploma in commercial banking from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University in 1961. In 1984, he became president and CEO of Maine National Bank and retired as chairman in 1990, after a thirty-nine-year career.
David was a loyal and engaged Bowdoin alumnus, serving as president of the Knox-Lincoln-Waldo Alumni Club, as an at-large member of the Alumni Council, and as a capital campaign volunteer. He was elected to the Board of Overseers in 1980, and was a member of the Executive Committee, the Computing Center Committee, and the Physical Plant Committee, for which he served as chair. He was voted an overseer emeritus in 1986. I am told that his love for Bowdoin was palpable in any conversation with him.
Throughout his life, David shared his talents and energies in support of the common good. On the state level, David was director, treasurer, and chair of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce; he was a member of the State of Maine Governor’s Task Force on Higher Education, a member of the Governor’s Trade Mission to the United Kingdom, and an incorporator of the Maine Medical Center. In Rockland, he was the president of the Kiwanis Club, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and trustee, treasurer, and president of the Pen Bay Medical Center. In Portland, he was a board member for the Salvation Army, a member of the Portland Affordable Housing Committee, and treasurer of the Intown Portland Associates.
David was predeceased by his wife, Anna (née Gribizis), whom he married in 1948; his son, Ted ’71; a daughter-in-law, Florence Joy Newcomb; and a grandson, Gordon. He is survived by his sons Dana ’72, Thomas, Jeffrey, and David ’83 and each of their spouses; eight grandchildren, including Emma ’10; and five great-grandchildren.
A public memorial service, followed by a reception, is planned at the Falmouth UCC Church, 267 Falmouth Road, Falmouth, Maine, at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 27, 2026.
My thoughts are with David’s friends and loved ones. I am grateful for all of his support for Bowdoin and for the Maine communities he served so well.
Sincerely,
Safa