Belle (Hart) Traver

TOPSHAM – Belle Hart Traver passed away on May 20, 2025, at the Highlands in Topsham. Born in 1927, she was 98 years old. Her long and spirited life was shaped by her devotion to her husband, William E. Traver, their six children, 17 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. She was loved instantly by all who met her.

Born on the Oliver family farm, called Applewood in Suffolk, Va., she moved north to Wellesley Hills, Mass., at the age of 7 with her mother, Belle, her younger brother, John, and her mother’s new husband, Harold Hart. During the war years she moved back south to Washington, D.C., where she attended the National Cathedral School, while her mother worked for the War Production Board under its chairman, Don Nelson. Belle graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1948, soon after which she met and married the love of her life, Bill Traver.

They made their new home in Barrington, R.I., and raised their family there. Belle and Bill were married for 63 years. Family life included summer trips with the children to West Falmouth, Cape Cod, and ski trips north to a family home in Sweden, Maine. Life with six children and a long progression of cats and dogs was a boisterous affair and Belle made everything fun, the neighborhood Easter egg hunt notwithstanding. She loved her dogs! And the love of dogs continued with her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were greatly influenced by her.

Belle loved travel and she was a lifelong learner, from her days teaching middle school in Barrington to her courses at Senior College throughout her retirement years. For 20 years Belle was on the faculty of the Gordon School in Providence, R.I. Realizing that some of her own children suffered from learning disabilities, she went back to school to study and become certified in Orton Gillingham techniques to work with dyslexic children. Her devotion to children and teaching never ceased. She served on school boards, including Gould and Fryeburg Academies, and was always an advocate for children. As a mother of six, miraculously she managed to find out exactly what it was each child needed.

Belle brought her energy and intelligence to community volunteer jobs, including local food shelves and clothing drives. Back in Rhode Island, she served as president of Rhode Island’s Junior League. Belle brought her faith and religious values with her no matter what work was at hand. She was an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Barrington, R.I., and helped found the Saint Peter’s Church in Bridgton. When she and Bill moved to Topsham, they attended Grace Episcopal Church in Bath and then First Parish Church in Brunswick. When Bill retired and they moved permanently to Maine, they were quick to make new friends there. This was true wherever they landed, including the Highlands in Topsham, where she lived for nearly 20 years. Her many friends, neighbors, and special people in her life, like George Hall, were very dear to her.

One of Belle’s enduring traits was her smile—her sociability. She was fun to be around. She loved her bridge group, and her book club, and her Friday morning breakfast club, where the politics of the day were gleefully dissected. She was a voracious reader. She particularly loved the young people who worked at the Highlands and was always interested in their stories, their hopes and dreams.

Belle had beautiful hands and was a crafter, a knitter and a quilter. She will be remembered as a person who knit together love and beauty around her, in her family, and community.

Belle is survived by her children, Ann Swardlick and her husband, David, Terry Traver and his wife Lyn, Tim Traver and his wife Delia, Sarah Ellis and her husband Wayne, Peter Traver, and Belle McDougall and her husband, Duncan; along with her many grandchildren; and great-grandchildren; and her dog, Amie.

A memorial service is planned for Monday, June 2, 11 a.m., at the First Parish Church in Brunswick.

Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Stetson’s Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 12 Federal St., Brunswick.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Stetson’s Funeral Home website, http://www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, donations to Tedford Housing and CHANS Home Health & Hospice are gratefully appreciated.