Tag Archives: retired commercial fisherman
Retired Commercial Fisherman Reginald Carl Knowles of Winter Harbor, Maine, has passed away
Reginald Carl Knowles entered eternity and found the peace he had longed for on Sept. 28, 2024. His last week was spent surrounded by family and goodbyes after having a stroke. He was born in Machiasport, Maine, as the firstborn son of Carl and Grace Knowles on “6/22/42” — the one thing he always remembered despite the vascular dementia. During his grade school years, Carl Bryant had given Regie a handful of traps that he hauled from a punt. He had been bitten by the lobster fishing bug in those early years! So, after returning from Germany and a short stint driving a truck for McQuinn’s, he set out be a successful lobsterman. He also went scalloping, shrimping and fish dragging, but lobstering was always his passion. It was a trade he took pride in teaching his sons. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:14
WWII Veteran/Retired Commercial Fisherman Charles Lee Wescott of Wanchese, NC, has passed away
Charles Lee Wescott, a 105-year-old native of Wanchese, North Carolina, departed his Earthly home in Wanchese, North Carolina, on February 21, 2024, with his family at his side. Charles was born September 27, 1918, in Gum Neck, Tyrrell County, North Carolina, the eldest child born to Theophilus Lee Wescott and Ina Cahoon Wescott. Charles joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1940 before the United States entered the WW-II efforts in 1941. During WW II, he was assigned to the U.S. Navy. Before Charles’ death, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed Charles to be the oldest surviving WW-II Veteran in The State of North Carolina. Charles devoted his life to being a commercial fisherman, from which he retired. He was one of the first charter boat captains out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center in the 1950s. He owned and managed his boat, the Myrtle W., affectionally named after his wife. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:35
Retired commercial fisherman Hiram Allen Gerrish of Winter Harbor, Me. has passed away
Hiram Allen Gerrish, 85, of Winter Harbor, passed peacefully at home June 20, 2024. He was born July 3, 1938, in Gerrishville, to parents Gib and Lillian (Hamilton). Hiram attended Winter Harbor schools and first worked as a teenager at Milt Torrey’s sawmill and egg farm. He then pursued his love for the ocean and went seining, lobster fishing, shrimping and scalloping. He met and married Nancy Ray, and they were together for 63 amusing years. Together they raised four unique children, Pam, Bonny, Allen and Kevin. Hiram was a founding member of the Winter Harbor Co-op and an active member of the fire department. He was very passionate and dedicated to town government. In 1977, he started working for the Dixon family until his retirement in 2016. Many of his local friends and neighbors relied on his knowledge, expertise and assistance with fishing gear, motors, electrical problems, welding and building projects. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:07
Retired Commercial Fisherman Captain Nick Mosich has passed away
For over thirty years the fishing vessel Mauritania patrolled the Eastern Pacific searching for tuna to bring home to market. At the helm was Captain Nick Mosich. He was hardworking, practical, and stoic. Always among the top producers, he was admired for his devotion and skill in his never-ending pursuit for tuna. His father was a fisherman, and his mother a homemaker. In 1949, he left Loyola to join his father in the fishing industry, where they worked side by side for a decade. In 1950, he met and married the love of his life, Barbara. They went on to have two children, and he was a dedicated family man.In 1960, Nick became owner of F/V Mauritania. At the time, the vessel was a bait boat, meaning it fished for tuna using bait and poles. The boat was converted to a purse seiner and for over thirty years he sought schools of tuna from Mexico to Peru. More than a fishing savant, Nick was devoted to his crew, and treated them as family. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:37
Retired Commercial Fisherman James Richard “Jim” Frederick of Anacortes, Washington, has passed away
On Feb 25, 2024 Jim passed away peacefully at home with his wife Dorothy and son Jim Jr. at his side. He was born in 1933 in Michigan to become a lifelong fisherman. He and Dorothy married in 1953, when he was at Fr. Bragg in the 82nd Airborne Div. After his honorable discharge, with wife and son in tow, he left for Washington in 1960 in search of bigger fish, to which he dedicated his life and almost only topic of conversation. He retired from commercial fishing at age 78 (his call sign was affectionately known as “Grumpy”) and turned his attention to sport fishing and added another layer to his preferred topic of conversation. He will be sorely missed in this household. more, >>click to read<< 09:34
Coast Guard Veteran, Retired Commercial Fisherman Vito J. Calomo has passed away
Vito J. Calomo, 79, of Gloucester husband of the late Josephine R. (Curcuru) Calomo passed away peacefully on Friday, December 8, 2023, at Care One at Essex Park Nursing Home in Beverly. He was born in Gloucester on April 19, 1944, son of the late Joseph “Sandy” and Rose M. (Loiacano) Calomo. Vito was a graduate of Gloucester High School, Class of 1962 and later attended North Shore Community College, receiving his associate degree in business. He proudly served in the United States Coast Guard. He had several jobs throughout his life but being on the water as a fishing captain was his greatest passion. He enjoyed flying fish spotting planes, was an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan but most of all was spending time with his grandson and namesake, Vito. more, >>click to read<< 09:35
Retired Commercial Fisherman Mark Lee Roberts of Tillamook, Oregon, has passed away
After a long battle with cancer, we lost our beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend, Mark Lee Roberts. Mark was born in Portland, Oregon in 1952 to Harley and Irene Roberts. Mark grew up in SW Portland and attended St. Clare’s Catholic School and graduated from Central Catholic H.S. in 1970. He started commercial dory fishing with his father out of Pacific City in the Old Soak and Ragtag. He owned several dories including Shark Bait, Fish Assassin and Accomplice before acquiring a larger boat, the Pacific Mistress, which he commercial fished out of Depoe Bay. Mark was also part of the ODFW Marine Reserves Community Team, the Depoe Bay Near Shore Action Team, OSU Wave Energy participant, Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission member, and a longtime member of the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association. >>click to read<< 14:49
Retired Nanticoke commercial fisherman catches a $2 million ace
The wildly popular Catch the Ace draw resulted in a big win on Thursday evening for Richard Marshall of Nanticoke. “I just got lucky, that’s all,” Marshall said on Friday after going to the legion with his wife Lorna to pick up a cheque for $2,035,295. It’s likely the biggest catch of his life. Marshall, age 83, is a retired commercial fisherman who worked on fishing boats on Lake Superior, as well as out of Nanticoke, Port Dover and Port Burwell on Lake Erie. “My wife’s got relatives in Switzerland,” said Marshall when asked about his plans after the big win. “I think we’ll go back over there and visit them for a while.” >click to read< 11:07
“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
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
Retired Commercial Fisherman Jerome Lee “Jerry” Green Sr., of Westport has passed away
Jerome Lee “Jerry” Green Sr., 83, longtime Westport resident and former commercial fisherman, passed away on March 9, 2022, at his home in Westport, Washington. Jerry was born on Feb. 3, 1939, in Hayward, Wisconsin, the first boy born in the Hayward Indian Hospital and the eldest of seven children. In 1971, Jerry married the love of his life Joyce Johnson. They enjoyed working together in the commercial fishing industry and spending time in Alaska during fishing season. They built a beautiful life together, that included large family gatherings and spoiling all of the grandkids. Joyce passed away in 2007. Jerry built and owned several boats including Jer’s Joy, Lady Joyce and Early Dawn. >click to read< 15:04
Retired Commercial Fisherman Dale A. Dorsey of Newport Oregon has passed away
Dale A Dorsey was born in Oakland, CA on January 20th, 1945 to Dale and Josephine Dorsey. He died on February 6th, 2022 surrounded by and in the loving arms of the people that meant the most to him, his family. He started king crab fishing in Alaska for his Father-in-Law and moved his family back and forth from their home in Newport to their home in Unalaska based on his fishing schedule. His family did this for years, his goal was always to have his family close. He spent the next 30 years as crew or the Captain of King Crab Fishing Vessels, side by side with his father-in-law Clifford Hall, brother-in-law Stephen Hall, his son Timothy, many nephews, cousins, and for a short time his daughter Taunette. May he Rest in Peace. >click to read< 13:09
Retired Commercial Fisherman Joseph Correia of South Dartmouth has passed away
Joseph Correia, Jr., 85, of South Dartmouth, gently passed after a long illness on January 9 at 12:26 a.m. at St. Luke’s Hospital surrounded by his wife, Margaret, and children. He initially worked on tug boats in Fall River and Boston and later became highly regarded as a commercial fisherman and Captain on the New Bedford Waterfront. Joe worked closely with Sea Rover Fishing, Inc. for more than 30 years and was Captain and Chief Engineer of their vessel, the AA Ferrante. In addition, he owned two of his own boats: a swordfishing vessel, “Defiance”, and the beautiful “JoAnna”, a wooden Stonington dragger. >click to read< 12:18
“Oiled: A Fisherman’s Journey” – A deeply personal memoir
Derrell Short, a retired commercial fisherman and handyman, has completed his new book “Oiled: A Fisherman’s Journey”: an exclusive account of the author’s time as a commercial fisherman while raising a family on remote Kodiak Island. It recounts his struggles and experiences while also imparting his unique wisdom that only years of being up against the harsh, yet beautiful landscape of Alaska can provide. As Short states, “In this memoir, various experiences and details are described, including a summary of some of [my] life before and after Alaska, and the trauma and tasks from aiding in cleaning up Exxon’s massive and incompetent oil spill of 1989.” >click to read< 19:35
A Florence Fable – A 93-year-old fisherman and his 108-year-old fishing boat, Otter
Retired commercial fisherman Walter Fossek, a high school dropout from Springfield, sits portside on his 52-foot boat with a glamorous past, known as the Otter. As people walk by, he says hello and chats with them about the happenings of the dock, where he spends his days maintaining the Otter bow to stern and reminiscing on a life full of crab pots and peach trees. At 93, Fossek has the wizened, tan appearance of someone who has spent decades on the water. He wears a battered baseball cap to protect his bespectacled eyes from the sun, and his hair is pulled back in a thin gray ponytail. photos, >click to read< 09:02
James (Jimmy) Omegna, a retired commercial fisherman. has passed away in Tacoma, Washington
James (Jimmy) Omegna 04-05-1946 to 02-21-21 – Jim was born in Tacoma, grew up in the Fife Valley and lived his whole life in Washington State. Jim was an avid fisherman, bird hunter, journeyman plumber, entrepreneur, and boat captain; the best father and a kind and generous friend and neighbor to many people, from Alaska to Baja, Mexico. Jim was a popular and successful charter captain based in Westport, WA where he operated his boats the Cold Spaghetti I and II during the 70’s and 80’s. As the industry declined, he switched gears to commercial fishing in Bristol Bay, AK during the summer herring and salmon seasons. When not in Alaska, he fished the San Francisco Bay herring runs and worked The Great Salt Lake brine shrimp season, he was never one to sit still. >click to read< 14:45
Retired Commercial Fisherman Leon “Bud” Francis Champlin Sr., of Narragansett, RI, has passed away
Leon “Bud” Francis Champlin Sr., 98, of Narragansett, passed away Tuesday, June 29, 2021. Born in North Kingstown, he was the son of the late Leon Mayfield Champlin and Madeline (Dillion) Champlin. He was the husband of the late Madeline Jane (Whaley) Champlin. Bud served in the Merchant Marines during WW II. After his return home, he laid out plans for an eastern rig dragger to his father-in-law, Cliff Whaley, a local ship builder and third generation of Point Judith Lighthouse keepers. Bud and his family assisted Cliff in building his 48-foot fishing boat, “Jane Lorraine”. In December of 1948, Bud, while fishing with Cliff Whaley and his brothers John and Kenny, dragged up a live bomb leftover from WW II. Just before the net reached the surface, the depth charge exploded. The boat and crew were towed back to port and assisted by Babe and Howard Whaley, Jack and Chet Westcott, Norman Gilbert and Dub Barrows. The fishing community was a close tight knit group of men, always there for one another. After repairs and adding a 12-foot piece to the middle of the “Jane Lorraine”, she continued to fish for another sixty + years with Bud as her captain, finally retiring at age 86. >click to read< 07:20
Lloyd Earl “Bucky” Chatham of Seadrift, Texas, a retired commercial fisherman has passed away
Lloyd Earl “Bucky” Chatham, 78, of Seadrift, passed away May 31, 2021. He was born April 8, 1943 in El Paso to Charles P. Chatham and Mary M. Chatham. Bucky had many passions in life, hunting, fishing, traveling, diving, rowing many years in the Texas Water Safari, volunteering at the Calhoun County Humane Society, his family and many friends he met along the way. He was blessed to have worked doing what he loved and retired as a commercial fisherman. >click to read< 15:05
