DECK LOG Bequests, Memorials, Appeals
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his winter I have been focused on finances and mortality to a far greater degree than usual. In November chairman emeritus Walter Brown, trustee Tom Daly, and I ventured to Westport, Connecticut, to interview long-time NMHS member, professional sailor, film director, and writer Philip Teuscher, who has left a generous legacy to the Society in his will. Because trust gifts are so important to us, we wanted to get to know more about those who will be including a bequest to NMHS in their wills and learn why they have chosen to take that step. Teuscher and his mission are included on pages 12-13. NMHS is fortunate to have many of its members, the heart and soul of the organization, with us for decades. But as time creeps up on us, we find that too many of our members have departed for Fiddler's Green. In 2009 we lost the leadership and support of NMHS Overseer Walter Cronkite and Advisor Walter Handelman. It has been a sad time for us. In December, we lost two beloved fixtures at headquarters, longtime volunteers Tommy Thompson, a retired professor of navigation at the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, and WWII Coast Guard hero Seymour Wittek. Both men had received the NMHS Volunteer of the Year Award, and they will be remembered for their knowledge, hard work, enthusiasm, wonderful stories, and their great contribution to the Society. During Seymour Wittek's funeral services, his family requested that contributions in his memory be sent to NMHS, an organization he respected and that had meant so much to him . (See page 10 for their tributes.) In 1998, when the Society organized the only 20th-century parade of tall ships on the Hudson River, USCG Captain Daniel Croce was one of the USCG Captain Daniel Croce salutes the casket of two Coast G uard representatives on Seymour Wittek during military honors at Wittek's the event committee. Since that time, burial in Queens, New York, 31December200'9. he has stayed a good friend to us. Through NMHS, he and Seymour became friends, and he asked to be a part of the Coast Guard Honor Guard at Seymour's burial. Our shared interests draw us together and remind us that the maritime community is a close family. Finally, our year-end appeal was a testament to how each member's contribution, no matter what the size, strengthens the cause and rejuvenates our sense of purpose. NMHS president emeritus Peter Stanford recently sent us his year-end gift with the following note: I am following in the wake of Jeremiah Timothy Driscoll, skipper of the harbor tanker Sterling, who set us all a wonderful example in our "something extra" campaign for year-end gifts. He simply cleared out his cashbox as the year ended, and sent us a check for the balance. It gave us some odd numbers, I remember $314.92 one year, but it sure helped out, and the bit of blarney that may have been involved went down well, too. Steady as she goes, Peter
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NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PUBLISHER'S CIRCLE: Pete r Aron, William H. White OFFICERS & TRUSTEES: Chairman, Ronald L. O swald; Vice Chairman, Richardo R. Lopes; President, Burchenal Green; Vice Presidents, Deirdre O 'Regan , Nancy Schn aars; Treasurer, H. C. Bowen Smith; Secretary, Thomas F. Daly; Trustees, Charles B. Anderson, Walter R. Brown, James Carter, David S. Fowler, Virginia Steele Grubb, Karen Helmerson, Steven W. Jon es, Robert Kamm , Richard M. Larrabee, Guy E. C. Mai tl and, John R. McDonald J r., James J. McNamara, William Pinkney, Richard Scarano, Philip J. Shapiro, Peter H. Sharp, Howard Slotnick, Bradford D. Smith, Cesare Sorio, Philip J. Webster, Daniel W Whalen, W illiam H. Wh ite; Chairmen Emeriti, Walter R. Brown, Alan G. Choate, Guy E. C. Maitland, Craig A. C. Reynolds, Howard Slotni ck; President Emeritus, Peter Stanford FOUNDER: Karl Kortum (1917- 1996) OVERSEERS: Chairman, RADM David C. Brown; Clive C ussler, Richard du Moulin, Alan D. Hutchison, Jakob Isbrandtsen, Gary Jobson, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, John Lehman, Warren Marr II, Brian A. McAllister, John Stobart, W illiam G. Winterer NMHS ADV1SORS: Chairman, Melbourne Sm ith; D . K. Abbass, George Bass, Oswald L. Bren, RADM Joseph F. Callo, Francis ]. Duffy, John W. Ewald, T imothy Foore, William G ilkerson, Thomas Gillmer, Steven A. Hyman, J. Russell Jinishian , Hajo Knurrel, Gunnar Lundeberg, Joseph A. Maggio, Conrad Milster, William G. Muller, Stuart Parnes, Lori Dillard Rech, Nancy Hughes Richardson, Bert Rogers, Joyce Huber Smith
SEA HISTORY EDITORIAL ADV1SORY BOARD: Chairman, Timothy J. Runyan; No rm a n J. Brouwer, Robert Browning, W illiam S. Dudley, Daniel Finamore, Kevin Foster, John Odin Jensen, Joseph F. Meany, Lisa Norling, Carla Rahn Phillips, Walter Rybka, Quentin Snediker, Wi lliam H. White NMHS STAFF: Executive Director, Burchenal Green; Membership Director, Nancy Schnaars; Marketing Director, Steve Lovass-Nagy; Communications Director, Julia C hurch; Accounting, Jill Romeo; Store Sales & Volunteer Coordinator, Jan e Maurice
SEA HISTORY. Editor, Deirdre O ' Rega n; Advertising Directo r, Wendy Pa gg iotrn; Editor-at-Large, Pete r Stanford
-Burchenal Green, President 4
SEA HISTORY 130, SPRJNG 20 I 0