Tag Archives: Obituary
Commercial Fisherman Lloyd D. Whaley of Brookings, Oregon has passed away
Lloyd D. Whaley was born April 30th, 1943, and passed away peacefully on Saturday morning April 29th, 2023. He juggled working nights at the lumber mill while pursuing his eventual career during the daytime: commercial fishing. The long hours and lack of sleep eventually paid off when he was able to buy his first salmon trawler, the Marilyn A. Some years later, he sold the Marilyn A and bought a slightly larger trawler, the Kristy. Unfortunately, the risk of fishing caught up with him and the Kristy sank. Instead of becoming discouraged, he remained devoted to commercial fishing and built a boat that could handle harsher weather conditions and diversify into other fisheries such as crab, shrimp, and bottom trawl, the Cape Sebastian. From there he grew to a second vessel, a 90-foot gulf shrimper the BJ Thomas (later sold to his granddaughter Sarah and husband Justin). Finally, in 1987 in a partnership with his son, they built a combination trawler crabber in Alabama and named it the Miss Sarah after his granddaughter. Additionally, Lloyd gave 20 years of service to the Port of Brookings Harbor as a commissioner. >click to read< 11:54
Retired lobsterman Charles Rogers Sr. of Matinicus Island has passed away
Charles Rogers Sr. of Matinicus Island, crossed the bar on the morning of January 20, 2023. He was born on October 29, 1939 in Owls Head, Maine. After working in Rockland at National Sea Products, Charlie and Donna moved to Matinicus Island where Charlie was a lobsterman until he retired at the age of 80. In those early years he also was a member of a seining crew. Charlie owned several boats over the years and had the distinction of having the first blue boat in the harbor when the C. Kristy Lee was built in 1978. It was thought at the time to be bad luck to have a blue boat and many of the old timers refused to ride in her. That superstition didn’t hold however, as several of the next shiny new lobster boats built for Matinicus fishermen were painted blue. At 67, when Charlie’s wife suggested he consider retiring, his answer was to have a new boat built, and Miss Sunshine became the latest addition to the harbor in 2007. >click to read< 10:26
Commercial fishing business/vessel owner Jewell Thomas “Tom” English III of Oak Island, Texas, has passed away
Jewell Thomas “Tom” English III, 75, of Oak Island, Texas, passed away peacefully, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at his home, with his loving family by his side. He was born on May 12, 1947, in Oceanside, California, to the late Margaret Emily Powers and Jewell Thomas English, Jr. He enlisted in the United States Navy and proudly served his country during the Vietnam Era. Tom was the owner and operator of a commercial fishing business and the fishing vessel F/V M&M (“you know where it melts”) for many years. He also received his captain’s license as a tugboat driver and for pushing barges. >click to read< 09:47
Captain William Tyndale “Punk” Daniels of Wanchese, North Carolina has passed away
William Tyndale “Punk” Daniels, 77, of Wanchese, North Carolina, died on Sunday, April 23, 2023, at Chesapeake Health and Rehabilitation Center. As a commercial fishing boat captain with Wanchese Fish Company, Punk spent countless hours on the water, providing for his family, and contributing to the local economy. In addition to his work as a captain, Punk was a co-owner of Wanchese Fish Company. Punk’s expertise in the fishing industry was legendary, and he was widely known in fishing ports on both coasts of the United States. Punk was also well known for his trademark whistle; if you heard it, you knew it was him and that he would “see you around like a donut.” >click to read< 09:24
Commercial Fisherman Justin P. Doberck, 41, of Mattapoisett, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, April 7, 2023.
Those who knew Justin were amazed watching him move through this life, and feel blessed to have been in it at the same time. He was beautiful and one of the most interesting people anyone could know. He was loved fiercely by his family who were relentlessly proud of him. Justin was a commercial offshore fishing captain for many years, starting over two decades ago working on the Serene out of Mattapoisett, captured on the cover of Insider Magazine, F/V Buzzards Bay, F/V Sally Katherine and F/V Silver Key out of the Port of New Bedford, F/V Direction out of Fairhaven, and then operator of fishing vessels with his mate and brother, Billy, for more than 10 years for M.E. Fisheries, then F/V McKinley, and most currently for Atlantic Red Crab. He also enjoyed logging and working at his sawmill in his spare time. >click to read more< 17:19
Michele Longo Eder of Newport, Oregon has passed away
Michele Longo Eder was born on the Fourth of July, 1954 in Albany, N.Y., to Joseph and Betty Longo. She died at 68 in her oceanfront home at Agate Beach. Michele was taken by lung cancer, with metastasis to the brain. Forty-seven years an Oregonian, she loved this coast and its community. She came west after graduating with honors in political science from Johns Hopkins University. In 1988 she married Bob Eder, a commercial fisherman, Marriage to Bob enriched an already full life for Michele. She was now a mother to two sons, Ben, aged 7, and Dylan, aged 5. Helping them grow into the young men they became made every day challenging and worthwhile. Ben’s tragic death in 2001 in an accident at sea led to the publication of Michele’s book, “Salt In Our Blood: The Memoir of A Fisherman’s Wife.” To say Michele embraced the role of a fisherman’s wife does not begin to cover it. >click to read< 12:52
Point Pleasant loses a fishing industry icon; Oscar John Stensland
On March 19 th , Oscar John Stensland passed away at age 90 after battling recent health issues. John was a former Commercial fisherman who was part owner of the Trawler Snow White in the nineteen sixties and early Seventies, until he decided to work with his late father, Oscar [senior] who had founded the Fisherman’s Supply Company back in 1948. Fisherman’s Supply was a crucial component of the development of the commercial fishing industry in the Ocean and Monmouth County
areas as the local fleet rapidly developed during the last century, and it provided Fishermen with a local store to purchase gear such as rope, twine, wire, hardware, tackles, blocks, etc. Without Fisherman’s Supply Company, fishermen were forced to travel to Rhode Island or New Bedford for fishing gear until Cape May started becoming major industry suppliers during the Seventies. >click to continue< 17:22
“Retired” Commercial Fisherman Carroll Richard Johnson of Fortuna, has passed away
Carroll Richard Johnson passed away unexpectedly on January 27, 2023. Carroll, the oldest of three children, was born on August 17, 1953, to Shirley Irene Swall and Richard Leonard Johnson. Carroll grew up in Fortuna. At the age of nine, Carroll started working in the fishing industry, and spent summers and weekends fishing on his dad’s commercial boat. In 1973, at the age of 20, he married his high school sweetheart, Lynne Dorris, and together they bought their first fishing vessel, the Helen Marie. Later, they were partners with a friend in owning and operating the Ocean Fresh Fish market in Fortuna and had three daughters together. Carroll fished commercially for salmon, tuna, and crab with the Helen Marie, Lettie M, and Belle J II, and also trawled with the Clara G, High Sea, and Stormbringer. His most recent fishing vessel was the Rian Faith, which he fished while living his “retired” life. >click to read< 09:43
John Moran of Tiverton, R.I., has passed away
A native of Tiverton, John Henline Moran, 86, died on Friday, February 24, 2023. He was the son of the late Charles and Helen (Henline) Moran and the husband of Sue-Ann Constance and the late Elinore (Moloney) Moran. He attended Babson College and was a self-employed commercial fisherman, union carpenter, and millwright rigger. John’s love of the water and the environment was evident in his local civic volunteerism. John was a former chairman of the Tiverton Conservation Commission, and a member of Governor Garrahy’s original Narragansett Bay Commission. As a member, John was focused on a cleaner Narragansett Bay for commercial fishing and recreational uses. He was past president of the RI Shellfisherman’s Association and deeply involved in the founding of Save the Bay in 1970. >click to read< 11:50
Commercial Fisherman Alf Ludvig Forde of Mukilteo, Washington has passed away
Alf Ludvig Forde (80) died peacefully at home in Mukilteo, Washington in the early morning January 4th, 2023 of natural causes. Alf was born November 9th, 1942 to Alf and Odney Forde in Ketchikan, Alaska. Alf was an Alaskan commercial fisherman. He started fishing on his dad’s boat at a young-age, eventually owning 2 halibut longliners and 3 Bering Sea crab boats. Alf built his business through hard work and honesty. He was respected as an extremely fair person not only with partners, but also among crew, fish buyers and professionals throughout the industry and beyond.
Alf’s greatest personal achievement was his family. >click to read< 15:26
Captain Peter Parisi of Gloucester, Massachusetts, has passed away
Capt. Peter Parisi, 64, of Gloucester, passed away on Thursday, December 29, 2022, in the comfort of his home. He was the former husband of Michelene (Parisi) Mina. Born in Gloucester on March 23, 1958, to a large fishing family, Peter grew up on the family fishing boats which led him to begin fishing for his father in the seventh grade. This was the beginning of his life as a fisherman. Peter had much love and respect for the ocean as he knew the ocean floor better than he did land. Peter took great pride in fishing and supporting his family. He eventually owned his own fishing vessel and named it after his daughter the F/V Tanya Lynne. Peter loved spending time with his family and especially enjoyed making his famous fish cakes that he would hand deliver to his brothers and sisters-in-law. Peter always gave a helping hand to all that needed it and underneath his weathered, rugged shell was a man with a huge heart that cared very much for others, while always giving and never expecting in return. >click to read< 12:45
Commercial Fisherman Frederick “Fred” Warren Benson of R.I. has passed away
Frederick Benson, 80, passed away peacefully at the Scandinavian Nursing Home, Cranston, following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was the husband of Susan (Schwartz) Benson. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Paul and Charlotte (Morse) Benson. He attended Brown University and then was drafted and served in the army as a military police officer in Vietnam. After returning home, he continued his college education and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in Fisheries and Marine Technology. His non-conformist tendencies and entrepreneurial spirit led him to a life as a commercial fisherman and he purchased his own fishing boat, the Lucky 13, which he ran successfully for many years. He was a man that always was determined to act in a way that was consistent with his principles. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, and others that sought him out for his knowledge and advice. >click to read< 08:23
Commercial Fisherman Thurlow Carl “Butch” Brewer of East Boothbay, has passed away
Thurlow Carl “Butch” Brewer of Murray Hill Road, East Boothbay died Dec. 29, 2022 after a short battle with cancer. He was born March 11, 1943 in Damariscotta, son of Carl “Bo” and Carrie Thompson Brewer. He was educated in the local school system, served in the U.S. Navy and spent nearly all of his life as a commercial fisherman. He served as captain on several sardine company purse seiners, including Homes Packing Company’s Ocean Delight, P. Borealis and Wave Guide. In 1978 he had a 56-foot boat built named the Sarah B which was used mostly as a dragger/purse seiner, he later captained the purse seiner Eva Grace. He traveled the coast stop seining for sardines and also spent many winter months based out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. In the more recent years, he was captaining lobster boats Sea Horse and Why Bother. His favorite job was his last to date which was filling in as sternman on his grandson’s boat Papa’s Pride. He had a lifelong passion for tuna fishing and took home trophies in the Boothbay Harbor Tuna Club’s annual competition. >click to read< 18:35
Commercial Fisherman Thomas “Tommy Guns” Blevin, 60, of Wildwood, NJ, has passed away
Thomas “Tommy Guns” Blevin, 60, of Wildwood, NJ, passed away on November 9, 2022 after a brief illness. Tommy is a beloved grandson, son, nephew, brother, uncle, cousin, father, and true friend. He was a proud commercial fisherman for over 4 decades, as close to a true modern day pirate as one would ever meet these days. When he wasn’t on the sea, he was an avid outdoors man and skilled carpenter. He never passed an opportunity to share memories of days gone by scalloping, crabbing, etc. with his mates. >click to read< 10:53
Fifth-generation fisherman Edward Mark Muise of Sullivan, Maine has passed away
Edward Mark Muise, 47, of Sullivan passed away at Houlton Regional Hospital with his mother and stepfather at his side. Ed was born in Ellsworth, son of Patricia and Edward. He went to school at Sumner Memorial High but claimed to graduate from “The School of Hard Knocks.” He loved the ocean and was proud being a fifth-generation fisherman. He first started fishing out of Tidal Falls as a sternman with Uncle Ronnie as a young teen. He was a sternman on several other boats then became the captain of Devil’s Delight and Pirate’s Penny. >click to read< 16:10
Lobsterman Erik John Capuano of Deer Isle has passed away
Erik John Capuano passed away at his home unexpectedly, at the age of 33, on Sept. 1, 2022, in Deer Isle, Maine. He is survived by his loving partner Elizabeth “Liz” Perez, and her sons Judson and Elliott of Deer Isle, Maine. He was the beloved son of Lorrie and Michael “Jack” Capuano of Bantam. Erik was a graduate of Litchfield High School. Shortly after graduating the sea called him to become a lobsterman and he moved to Stonington, Maine. He loved the beauty of the early misty sea mornings, beautiful sun rises, the smell of the ocean air and the island life and brotherhood of the hardworking fishing community. >click to read< 12:24
Commercial Fisherman Justin Harvey of Wakefield Dies at 36 in Tragic Accident
Justin Harvey, 36, of Wakefield, RI, passed away unexpectedly in a tragic accident on October 1, 2022. Born into a multi-generational tradition of commercial fishing, Justin loved being at sea and had just returned home from a six-day trip. The only thing Justin loved more in the world than fishing was his 16-month-old son Sturgeon David. His son was all he had ever wanted and Justin was looking forward to spending time together and watching him grow. Justin was born in South Kingstown, RI to Janet Harvey and Bruce Harvey. >click to read< 15:31
Former New Bedford Fisherman Manuel F. “Manny” Machado has passed away
Manuel F. “Manny” Machado, 77, of Fairhaven passed away unexpectedly Thursday, September 22, 2022 at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. He was the loving companion of Diane E. Rocha of Fairhaven and the former husband of the late Bertha (Frias) Machado. Born and raised in Furnas, St. Michael, Azores, Portugal, son of the late Jose Manuel Machado and Teresa Maria (Vieira) Machado, he came to New Bedford in 1969 and settled in Fairhaven seven years ago. Manny served in the Army in Portugal and later worked as a commercial fisherman for many years on several fishing vessels from New Bedford Harbor. He was a member of the New Bedford Fisherman’s Club and was an avid bird watcher. >click to read< 11:29
Captain Joseph James Henry “The Fox” of Stonington, Ct. has passed away
One more of the original fishermen from the heart of the Borough has bid us adieu. Captain Joseph James Henry, born July 18, 1926, lived to the age of 96, and passed away on Saturday August 27, 2022. Those who knew Joe were aware of his good-natured kindness to all. As one of the initial commercial lobstermen of Stonington’s fishing fleet, he had many stories and adventures to tell. He was a well-known fisherman who knew that “the sea, like a woman, had a mind of its own.” >click to read< 15:00
Thomas L. Brower Sr. of Brick, N.J., has passed away
Thomas Lee Brower Sr., age 64, passed away on August 23, 2022. He was born on February 2, 1958 in Point Pleasant NJ and lived his whole life in Brick, NJ. He started his career as a mate on the party boat the Piper in Point Pleasant, NJ. He moved on to clamming boats till one day he bought the Viking Star in 1984 and started his own fishing business. He bought the Fishing Vessel Kristin which was so successful he was able to grow the business and owned the Jessica Lynn, Elvie B, Ida B, Jamie Elizabeth, and the McGinty. He was a member of the Point Pleasant Fisherman CoOp. Being out at sea was his joy in life. >click to read< 20:40
Fisherman John Paul Feller Jr. has passed away
John Paul Feller Jr. passed into the “happy hunting grounds” on Aug. 10 in Wrangell after a hard battle with cancer, his family wrote. “He will be greatly missed.” A celebration of life will be held at a later time. John was born on Dec. 29, 1948, to John Paul Feller Sr. and Carol Alice (James) Feller Brady in Wrangell. The oldest of five children, John was someone who everyone looked up to and was a friend to all, his family wrote. John started fishing with his dad at a young age and his love of fishing continued throughout his life. He went on to be a master net maker, seasoned commercial fisherman, and earned his associate degree in environmental sciences. He was a well-known skiff man in Southeast. >click to read< 11:55
Richard “Ricky” Earl Dudley, of Beaufort has passed away
Richard “Ricky” Earl Dudley, 74 of Beaufort passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on August 17, 2022. Ricky was born on November 14, 1947, in Morehead City, NC to the late Elmer and Leonda Dudley. Ricky graduated from East Carteret High School, attended Carteret Community College and married his high school sweetheart, Patsy Hadder in 1969. Ricky had a love for sports and fast cars. He spent his career in commercial fishing, first working as pilot with his daddy on Menhaden boats in Mississippi and then later as a fish boat captain himself. He enjoyed spending time at Shackleford Banks with his family and loved fishing with a rod and reel. Ricky loved his family more than anything and spent his free time taking them out in the boat, playing the guitar, shooting off fireworks and playing pool at Royal James. >click to read< 18:14
Mr. Robert Dixon of Tiverton, Rhode Island, has passed away
Mr. Robert Dixon, age 77, of Tiverton, Rhode Island, passed away on August 19, 2022. Robert was born in Fall River, MA to George and Edith Dixon of Riverside, RI. Robert was the husband of the late Mary McCarthy of Cranston, RI. Mr. Dixon graduated from East Providence High School in 1963. Robert retired from the United States Coast Guard in 1983 after serving 20 years. Mr. Dixon formed Commercial Marine Electronics to continue his passion of serving the marine industry by his expertise of the equipment and in the late 1980s became owner of Chris Electronics of New Bedford, MA. Robert’s knowledge and experience with repairing the marine electronics created a well-known reputation within the marine industry. >click to read<, 19:0z
Capt. Duffy Duncan of Astoria has passed away
The man, myth and legend, Capt. Duffy Duncan, of Astoria, passed away unexpectedly to the sea in the sky on Aug. 7 at the age of 74. All knew him to be larger than life, with an infectious laugh, and always ready with a crazy fishing story, weather or stock report. One of his biggest accomplishments was securing a United Nations contract to ferry the fishing vessel Tropac 5,000 miles across the Pacific to American Samoa, where he was integral in training the local fisherman modern tuna fishing techniques, later becoming their biggest industry. Numerous bets were placed on their lives prior to the risky voyage. The mission was completed in just 27 days, and they were warmly greeted by the U.S. Coast Guard and governor. He owned and operated several commercial fishing vessels, including the Viola II, Piranha, Carly D., and the Patricia Ann, both locally in Astoria and Bristol Bay, Alaska. >click to read< 09:08
Australian Fishing Industry Pioneer Bob Mostyn has passed away
The Australian fishing industry lost one of its renowned pioneers last week. Bob Mostyn, former managing director of the major seafood exporter Craig Mostyn and Co, died at the age of 93. He facilitated a fascinating and illuminating trip for me on the maiden voyage of the company’s then new and revolutionary prawn trawler F/V Karumba Norman, skippered by the redoubtable “Paddles” Taylor, from Bundaberg to Karumba. I then crewed on several of its early fishing voyages in the Gulf during mid-1969. I will always be grateful to him for that experience that taught me so much about this industry. >click to read< 12:21
A True Pioneer – Captain Magne Kristoffer Nes has passed away
Magne Kristoffer Nes passed away in Edmonds, WA, surrounded by his loving family. Magne was born in Karmøy, Norway to Didrik and Elen (Ella) Nes, the fifth of nine siblings. Magne’s distinguished 64-year commercial fishing career took him around the world, including Hawaii, where he retired from fishing. Magne was a true pioneer with an endless thirst for research, whether it be for fishing or safety. Magne was one of the first to employ survival suits in Alaskan waters, he obtained permission to bring medical prescription chests on fishing vessels and was one of the first to have a doctor on 24-hour standby through single sideband radio. Magne held over 125 Alaska commercial fishing licenses along with record-breaking crab deliveries. His many fisheries included king crab, salmon and scallops, just to name a few. He was awarded twice by The Norwegian Commercial Club for outstanding seamanship, vessel maneuvering and for his contributions to the North Pacific fishing industry. >click to read< 09:32
Vietnam Veteran, Commercial Fisherman Guadalupe G. Zamora has passed away
Guadalupe G. Zamora, a TX native, and U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran, entered eternal rest on July 27th at the age of 78 at his residence in Los Fresnos, TX. Guadalupe is an Army Veteran that served from 1967 to 1970. He was a heavy vehicle driver and attained the rank of Sergeant during the Vietnam War. He was very proud of his service to our nation, and we were very proud of him as well. Guadalupe Zamora was born in Brownsville on June 7, 1944 and raised in both Brownsville and Port Isabel. He grew up with 3 brothers and 5 sisters. He was a natural born carpenter, and one of his many projects included a large front porch of which he was very proud of and spent many afternoons at. He was a commercial fisherman and a Texas history buff, especially of the Alamo. >click to read< 09:48
Retired Commercial Fisherman Joseph C. Whaley Jr. of Narragansett, R.I. has passed away
Joseph C. Whaley, Jr., 86, of Narragansett, passed away at home Friday, July 1, 2022. He was the beloved husband of Marjorie “Midge” Whaley for 65 years. Born in South Kingstown, he was the son of the late Joseph C. Whaley, Sr. and Lily (Sohm) Whaley. He was predeceased by his brothers Howard and Babe and his sisters Virginia and Marise. He is survived by several nieces and nephews. Joe was a lifelong commercial fisherman out of Point Judith. He started with the F/V Virginia Marise, which he bought from his father and ran until he was called into the US Army. When he returned from the Army, he bought F/V E. Carl Rice Jr., which he ran for 35 years, often with his wife Midge as his crew. He later ran the trap boat Amelia Bucolo and, once again, F/V Virginia Marise when it returned to Point Judith 50 years later. >click to read< 08:37
Commercial Fisherman/Businessman Jared “Jerry” Trussler of New Zealand
Jared “Jerry” Trussler was born on August 21st, 1938 to Fern and Arthur Trussler in Paso Robles, California and passed away peacefully at his home in Kerikeri, New Zealand on June 24th, 2022. He grew up in San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara Counties and graduated from San Luis Obispo High School with the class of 1956. In 1957, Jerry went to Alaska to work on a commercial fishing boat in the Bering Sea, which he described as the most pivotal point in his career, and he continued to return to Alaska as a commercial fisherman for over 30 years. Jerry also became a commercial abalone diver and obtained his pilot instructor’s license. In 1965, Jerry started a welding company focused on building steel commercial fishing vessels, but later moved on to manufacturing steel water tanks up to 10 million gallons in size for municipalities all over California. >click to read< 21:45
Retired Commercial Fisherman David A. Jincks of Newport has passed away
David A. Jincks, age 70, passed away on May 24, 2022, after suffering 10 months with Glioblastoma, an aggressive and fast growing form of brain cancer. David was born February 12, 1952 in Eugene, Oregon to Arthur and Flora Jincks. During high school, he spent summers commercial fishing for salmon and tuna. In 1972 he lost his pollywog tail and became a shellback when he crossed the equator aboard the Research Vessel Yaquina. After returning to Newport, David commercial fished from California to the Bering Sea. In 1986 he traveled to the Soviet Union with a delegation of west coast fisherman to continue negotiations for the whiting joint venture. He twice served as a Newport port commissioner, and also served as the president of the MidWater Trawl Cooperative. >click to read< 14:44
