BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 17, 2024
Legendary canoeist, writer, and teacher Fern Crossland Stearns, 90, died on April 14, 2024. Fern married William F. Stearns of Rumford in 1959. Bill and Fern honeymooned with a canoe camping trip on the Machias River, beginning what became a lifetime of leadership in Maine's paddling and river advocacy communities. She fought for free-flowing and wild rivers and championed the sports of wilderness canoeing and whitewater canoe racing. Fern and Bill raced in the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race for decades. She was recognized as a Legend of Paddling by the organizers of that race. Fern and Bill were principal founders of Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society. Fern and Bill were instrumental in expanding whitewater racing, frequently winning the national crown in their class. The Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization honored her with an award for drawing people into canoeing. In 1974, they guided a team of canoeists from federal and state agencies in a study of the Penobscot River's eligibility for designation as a Wild and Scenic River.