William (Bill) Knight Bayley, 87 of Pine Point, Maine passed away on April 3rd, 2026 at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough.

Bill was born February 10th,1939 to Bertha and Edward Bayley. He was raised in Pine Point when it was a small fishing village of clam diggers and lobstermen. He fondly remembered his one room schoolhouse and the antics of all the neighbors, cousins, aunts and uncles. There was a story for every occasion. He was particularly influenced by his beloved grandfather and grandmother, Stephen and Ella Bayley.

After graduating from Scarborough High School, Bill went to DeVry Technical institute in Chicago and then into the Navy. He served in Japan and Adak, Alaska. He told stories about listening in on Russian communications in the Aleutian Islands and laughingly told everyone that he made it four years in the Navy without ever setting foot on a ship.

After his service, Bill returned to Pine Point and the family business, Bayley's Lobster Pound. He was already the third generation at the business and became integral to its success. He worked at the lobster pound from the time that lobsters were shipped in barrels via train to Boston and New York all the way through the age of internet shipping. He was constantly innovating and finding new aspects of the industry. Bill was one of the first people to build a plastic bin system to hold individual baby lobsters and chart their growth. He built elaborate tank systems without help of engineers, was on the forefront of the first Maine lobsters shipped to Europe and Japan and built various machines that were far before their time. Shrimp washers, clam seeders and lobster leg rolling machines were all constructed by him well before they were used widely in the industry. His pedal operated pneumatic crab picking machine could not be forgotten by anyone who witnessed it.

There was no harder worker in Pine Point than Bill. Whether it was late nights meeting Canadian lobster trucks or early mornings washing shrimp, he was there doing it all himself. His work ethic influenced generations of young employees.

Thanks to his incredible dedication and hard work, Bayley's Lobster Pound not only survived but thrived. He worked alongside his grandparents, parents, his daughter, Susan and countless other relatives throughout the years. Family was work and work was family.

Bill enjoyed daily talks on the phone to other lobster dealers, especially his best friend Sonny Hutchins of Port Lobster in Kennebunkport. He enjoyed going out to eat and was always up for a new dining experience. He had a fascination with local history and passed down thousands of photos to his daughter. He got great pleasure out of researching his great grandfather, who stowed away on a whaling ship in Portugal at twelve years old and landed in Cape Cod, spending his life in the life-saving service as well as his English ancestors who landed in Newburyport hundreds of years earlier.

Most importantly, Bill was always there when someone needed help. Whether it was money for a church supper, someone down on their luck or a team in need of a sponsorship, he was there   with a loan, a job offer and even bail money. He genuinely felt for people in need, but he was generous in a discreet and personal way and taught his daughter that true charity does not ask for or expect a thank you.

Bill is predeceased by his parents, Edward and Bertha Bayley; his brother, Robert (Bobby) Bayley and his sister, Barbara Sawyer.

He is survived by his daughter, Susan Bayley Clough, son-in-law Vincent Clough, granddaughter Emma Bayley Clough, sister Beverly Bayley-Smith, brother-in-law Dennis Smith, friend, Charlotte Benware and many nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held at Hobbs Funeral Home in Scarborough, May 5th from 10am to 12pm, followed by a short service and a graveside memorial at Scarborough Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the good people at Maine Veterans Home, 290 US Rte. 1, Scarborough, Maine 04074.