Greenville - Esther M. (Smith) Wallace, aka "Eagle," "Rusty," and "The Mayor of Cove Point Township," passed away in the early morning hours of March 31st, 2026. She died opposite of how she lived, which is to say peacefully.

Esther entered this world on Saturday, June 26th, 1937, one of two daughters born that day to Marjorie and Raymond Smith of High Street in Greenville.

Twins' personalities often repel each other, a trend clearly evident in the case of Esther and her sister, Jean. Jean wore dresses, Esther wore "dungarees." Jean carried a purse, Esther carried a sidearm. Jean liked to dance, Esther liked to hunt, fish and fight. She REALLY liked to fight--especially in her youth. Indeed, next to smoking cigarettes, her favorite adolescent pastime seems to have been beating the hell out of any neighborhood boy who dared poke fun at her red hair.

While attending Greenville schools, Esther excelled at softball and basketball and almost certainly would have played football had the team allowed girls. As she liked to tell anyone who would listen, Mr. Osgood, GHS's football coach at the time, once remarked to her, "Jesus Christ, Esther, why wasn't (sic) you born a boy? You can throw a football better than my quarterback!"

Always in possession of a strong work ethic, Esther manned the dryer full-time at Atlas Plywood while still a high school student. She graduated Greenville Consolidated School, class of 1956 and, following a stint in the United States Army, returned to mill work, both in both Greenville and Guilford. She also worked as a mail carrier for remote areas north of Greenville including Kokadjo and Chesuncook.

Folks of a certain age may recall her pride and joy during this period: a 1965 GTO convertible painted "Iris Mist." Esther often remarked--in her own, unprintable fashion--that no other vehicle in Greenville could match its speed.

One night during the latter half of the 1960s, Esther paid a visit to Moosehead Lake Hotels's street-level bar known affectionately by locals as "The Long Branch." While there, she chatted with Bill Wallace, the bartender and owner. At evening's end, while preparing to walk out the door, Bill called across the room to her.

"Esther," he said, "I'd pay a hundred bucks to see you in a dress."

The redhead laughed. "You just might!" she said. "You never know!"

Esther called her twin sister first thing the next morning.

"Jeanie," she said, "I need to borrow a dress."

When Esther entered The Long Branch that night, Bill slid a wad of bills from his front pocket and started peeling.

"Save your money, Wallace," Esther told him. "Just buy me a beer and we'll call it even."

That beer ultimately led to their wedding on August 11, 1968.

When not running their hotel and barroom, the couple could often be found hunting deer or partridge or fishing from their canoe with fly rods. They especially loved Penobscot River's West Branch and enjoyed many trips down those waters.

From the mid-1990s until her retirement twenty years later at age 78, Esther worked at Kelly's Landing as housekeeper, prep cook and dishwasher. Even while pushing 80, she regularly walked the railroad track to and from her job--a distance of nearly a mile each way.

Those who knew Esther will doubtless remember her as an avid and accomplished fisherman and hunter. She was a member of the Biggest Bucks in Maine Club and a participant in the state's 1985 moose hunt. She caught hundreds of trout and salmon while trolling Moosehead's shoreline. Indeed, this author regularly saw her snag her limit within minutes of leaving the dock. No sooner would our family's little boat put-putt out of sight around Hospital Point than I'd look up to see her racing back at wide open throttle. After loosely tying off the boat, she'd trudge up to the house with a fish in each hand and toss them into the sink, then turn around and head back out to catch her limit again. She shared the wealth, though, giving fish to local folks she liked who would make a meal of them.

Esther served as a Cub Scout Troop #120 den mother, tried her hand at taxidermy (with admirable success), and once built herself a beautiful cedar strip canoe. Her relentless needling via the United States Postal Service of friend and sportswriter Bud Leavitt regularly garnered mentions in Bud's BDN column. She rafted the Kennebec River, enjoyed many camping trips with friends and loved to swim in Moosehead Lake. She also loved to play cribbage and took great pride in her homemade baked beans. She kept cats, dogs, rabbits and ducks. And she read voraciously, especially crime novels from authors Patricia Cornwell and Lisa Gardner. She long referred to her home as her "Happy Place."

Esther was predeceased by her husband, William M. "Bill" Wallace, daughter, Maxine Jean, and brothers Raymond Jr., Lewis ("Babe") and Robert. She also outlived many dear friends, including "Doc" and "Duddy" Blanchard, Arlene Fichtner, Norma Hanson, Elsie Ryan and Dolores Sylvia.

Esther is survived by her sister, Jean M. King, of Englewood, Florida.

Esther's family wishes to thank Kim Brady and Peter Kreider of Kelly's Landing for employing her through all those many years. Your medals are on order; please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.

We also wish to thank Paul Breton and family for their countless kindnesses, large and small, the crew at Indian Hill Trading Post for making the trek to deliver Esther groceries, and every person who ever gave "The Hermit of Hospital Point" a ride home or into town. Very special thanks go out to her neighbors, especially Moe & Belinda Frechette: she appreciated your help more than you know, and she always felt safer knowing you were there. Thanks also to Wendy Grzesik, Aymie Mullins and Charles Carter: your generosity kept Esther in her home years longer than ever would have been possible otherwise.

No formal services will be held. We instead encourage friends to raise a toast and share a laugh.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Greenville Recreation Department, PO Box 1109, Greenville, ME 04441 or the fuel fund for Greenville's Daycare program. That address: The Little Schoolhouse, PO Box 712, Greenville, ME 04441 (please note "fuel fund" on the memo line).