To her friends in Maine, Phyllis Wyeth of Tenants Harbor is the gracious but determined lady who overcame tragedy and happened to marry into America’s beloved family of artists.

WORCESTER, Mass. — Spencer Abbott walked out of the University of Maine locker room after Friday’s practice and into the same questions he’s heard for nearly a week.

ORONO — Will O’Neill never captained a team before this season. Never was a Boy Scout leader. Never was a head altar boy and he’s not a first-born son.

After Julie Clukey described what it’s like to hurtle down a mountain course of ice while lying on a small sled, she waited for someone in her audience of elementary school students to ask the questions that are always asked.

WATERVILLE — When T.J. Maines was very young, he might have thought the men visiting his father, Tom Maines, were family. In his own home or someone else’s home, he listened to these men talk basketball, argue basketball or tell stories about the game that stoked their passion.

ESSEX, Vt. — Lee Roy had seen enough of 19-year-old Ben Davison playing third base for the opposing team. The kid was taking away too many hits, throwing out too many runners.

PORTLAND — He got his copy of the new coffee table book, Sports Illustrated: The Covers and turned the pages quickly, searching for the magazine cover from December of 1985. He found it.