Stephen D. Bither

PORTLAND – “I mostly lived a life of joy.” Stephen D. Bither, of Portland, died on March 25, 2025, after a brief illness.

Born on Aug. 27, 1948, in Portland, Steve’s early years were shaped by a love of learning and an appreciation for the arts. After graduating from Deering High School (where, he said, he was class president one year and class clown every year), he continued his education at Brown University. He worked as a cab driver, schoolteacher, country and western disc jockey, and radio talk show host before attending the University of Maine Law School at the age of 40 with a desire to “grow up and make a difference.”.

Steve was deeply committed to serving others. As an attorney, he dedicated himself to quietly helping those in need. If you were poor, homeless, or marginalized, you would not be turned away from the law office of Stephen D. Bither.

A man of deep faith and community spirit, Steve was a member of Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church, where he sang in the choir and contributed to their traditional bean suppers. He also organized “Jazz Sunday” services and participated in two mission trips to Honduras.

The list of organizations where he volunteered is long and varied, and he will be missed by his fellow volunteers at Southern Maine Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Cleaves Law Library, Mad Horse Theater, Pihcintu Girls Chorus, the Committee to Restore the Abyssinian Meeting House, Friends of Evergreen Cemetery, and The Portland Conservatory of Music. He also served as chair of the Portland Board of Assessment Review and was a member of the Cumberland County Board of Assessment Review. He was a long-time member of The Woodford’s Club, a place he dearly loved.

But it was his role in the Wicked Good Band cemented Steve’s place in Maine’s cultural landscape. For more than 50 years, Steve served as the band’s pianist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, business manager, van driver, booker, and source of endless inside jokes. The band performed at the National Press Club, on “Good Morning America,” “CBS Sunday Morning,” and on the PBS radio show “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” when it broadcasted live from Merrill Auditorium in Portland. His songwriting talents contributed to many well-loved Maine humor songs such as “Ayuh, The Potato Pickin’ Song,” “Wicked Good,” and “Baked Bean Boogie.”

His life was profoundly shaped by love and loss; he occasionally spoke about his son, Nicholas Lape Bither, who passed away in infancy. “When he died, it broke my heart,” he said, “and I never fully recovered. I never wanted to. In some ways Nicholas was the reason for me to start making something of my life.”

Steve is survived by his fiancée, Bonnie Harradon; and his older brother, Jim, his sister-in-law, Janet Bither. He was also survived by his nieces and nephew, Amy Johnson (Dave) of Kennebunkport, Noelle Hekscher (Jon) of Villlanova, Pa., Carrie Palmer (Jeff) of Belmont, Mass., Molly Bither of East Winthrop, and Sam Bither of Los Angeles, Calif.

He was predeceased by his son; and his younger brother, Doug Bither.

Funeral services will be on Thursday, April 10 at 11 a.m. at the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church, 280 Ocean House Rd., Cape Elizabeth. Burial will be private.

Steve’s legacy lives on through the music he created, the laughter he inspired, the justice he sought for others, and the countless lives he touched with his generosity and warmth. May his memory bring comfort to all who knew him.