This December, the Boothbay Common is alive with the holiday spirit. The common is lit up with Christmas lights as part of Boothbay Lights and Boothbay Winter Festival along with another holiday decoration in the gazebo. Boothbay Civic Association placed a Christmas tree in honor of longtime member Estelle Appel, who died in September at 87.

While serving on BCA, Appel was instrumental in developing Barrett’s Park and raising money for many other community projects. She served on the Boothbay planning board and was invited to the White House twice. She also served 12 years as a Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund trustee. In 2009, Appel received Boothbay Harbor Rotary’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

During the ceremony, longtime friend Karen Elliot of Carrabasset Valley remarked, “Estelle is actually attending an event that she did not plan.”

Appel was born in Boothbay Harbor, was a Boothbay Harbor High School valedictorian and received a business degree from Westbrook College which is now part of the University of New England. Appel and her husband Ron moved to Danvers, Massachusetts in 1956. The couple raised their five children in Massachusetts before returning to Boothbay Harbor in 1977. Prior to her leaving Danvers, the town named her “Person of the Year.” 

Dawn Gilbert is a longtime friend of Appel’s and BCA member. “Estelle served on the BCA for about as long as I remember. She was very involved, I miss her very much.” The tree ceremony included Boothbay Town Manager Dan Bryer, Selectman Chuck Cunningham, Appel’s daughter Judy Appel White, and Gilbert and Wink Erhard.