By his only daughter:
Yes, my Dad died in Puget Sound while sailing in his sailboat, alone. He had wanted a sailboat from the time we moved from California…to Washington. He was following a Yacht club sailboat race, but not 'in' it (nor was he a member at that time). He had finally gotten the 'boat of his dreams, after becoming successful in owning a gas station in Tacoma, across from Stadium High School.
The three of us came up with the name…
AR-RU-LO (Archie, Ruth, Lottie). A month or so before (and hoping to join the Yacht Club and eventually take part in the races) he wanted to get the ‘feel' of a race. SO he followed behind…at a distance…to see how it all went.
A man by the name of Govner Teats, NOT spelled Governor) and his crew saw Dad's boat 'tacking' (going back and forth in the wind, out of control). They headed for it and heard him yelling for help. As they pulled alongside Dad was just below the surface. There is a swift undercurrent in that area so the skipper tied a rope around his crew member (for HIS safety) in going in the water after Dad. By that time Dad had sunk out of site, not having communicated with them. It is assumed his sail got loose and that the boom must have knocked him overboard. The coast guard dragged the area for three days, but never recovered his body.
Dad was an only child (a baby girl had been born to my grandparents, but died shortly after birth).
Grandpa Wood lived in California and immediately came to be with us as they continued to drag the bay. Just as we were, he too was in shock. We could NOT BELIEVE it had really HAPPENED, but when we DID Grandpa felt he needed to return home. Nothing more could be done. He was not well himself and it was hard to see him leave. For a LONG time Mom and I continued to think he might have 'really' swum to shore and he would be found! as 18 at that time. It was March 26, 1944 that he drowned. On May 31st….he would have been 39! (Mom lived to be 72).
Yes, my Dad died in Puget Sound while sailing in his sailboat, alone. He had wanted a sailboat from the time we moved from California…to Washington. He was following a Yacht club sailboat race, but not 'in' it (nor was he a member at that time). He had finally gotten the 'boat of his dreams, after becoming successful in owning a gas station in Tacoma, across from Stadium High School.
The three of us came up with the name…
AR-RU-LO (Archie, Ruth, Lottie). A month or so before (and hoping to join the Yacht Club and eventually take part in the races) he wanted to get the ‘feel' of a race. SO he followed behind…at a distance…to see how it all went.
A man by the name of Govner Teats, NOT spelled Governor) and his crew saw Dad's boat 'tacking' (going back and forth in the wind, out of control). They headed for it and heard him yelling for help. As they pulled alongside Dad was just below the surface. There is a swift undercurrent in that area so the skipper tied a rope around his crew member (for HIS safety) in going in the water after Dad. By that time Dad had sunk out of site, not having communicated with them. It is assumed his sail got loose and that the boom must have knocked him overboard. The coast guard dragged the area for three days, but never recovered his body.
Dad was an only child (a baby girl had been born to my grandparents, but died shortly after birth).
Grandpa Wood lived in California and immediately came to be with us as they continued to drag the bay. Just as we were, he too was in shock. We could NOT BELIEVE it had really HAPPENED, but when we DID Grandpa felt he needed to return home. Nothing more could be done. He was not well himself and it was hard to see him leave. For a LONG time Mom and I continued to think he might have 'really' swum to shore and he would be found! as 18 at that time. It was March 26, 1944 that he drowned. On May 31st….he would have been 39! (Mom lived to be 72).
By his only daughter:
Yes, my Dad died in Puget Sound while sailing in his sailboat, alone. He had wanted a sailboat from the time we moved from California…to Washington. He was following a Yacht club sailboat race, but not 'in' it (nor was he a member at that time). He had finally gotten the 'boat of his dreams, after becoming successful in owning a gas station in Tacoma, across from Stadium High School.
The three of us came up with the name…
AR-RU-LO (Archie, Ruth, Lottie). A month or so before (and hoping to join the Yacht Club and eventually take part in the races) he wanted to get the ‘feel' of a race. SO he followed behind…at a distance…to see how it all went.
A man by the name of Govner Teats, NOT spelled Governor) and his crew saw Dad's boat 'tacking' (going back and forth in the wind, out of control). They headed for it and heard him yelling for help. As they pulled alongside Dad was just below the surface. There is a swift undercurrent in that area so the skipper tied a rope around his crew member (for HIS safety) in going in the water after Dad. By that time Dad had sunk out of site, not having communicated with them. It is assumed his sail got loose and that the boom must have knocked him overboard. The coast guard dragged the area for three days, but never recovered his body.
Dad was an only child (a baby girl had been born to my grandparents, but died shortly after birth).
Grandpa Wood lived in California and immediately came to be with us as they continued to drag the bay. Just as we were, he too was in shock. We could NOT BELIEVE it had really HAPPENED, but when we DID Grandpa felt he needed to return home. Nothing more could be done. He was not well himself and it was hard to see him leave. For a LONG time Mom and I continued to think he might have 'really' swum to shore and he would be found! as 18 at that time. It was March 26, 1944 that he drowned. On May 31st….he would have been 39! (Mom lived to be 72).
Yes, my Dad died in Puget Sound while sailing in his sailboat, alone. He had wanted a sailboat from the time we moved from California…to Washington. He was following a Yacht club sailboat race, but not 'in' it (nor was he a member at that time). He had finally gotten the 'boat of his dreams, after becoming successful in owning a gas station in Tacoma, across from Stadium High School.
The three of us came up with the name…
AR-RU-LO (Archie, Ruth, Lottie). A month or so before (and hoping to join the Yacht Club and eventually take part in the races) he wanted to get the ‘feel' of a race. SO he followed behind…at a distance…to see how it all went.
A man by the name of Govner Teats, NOT spelled Governor) and his crew saw Dad's boat 'tacking' (going back and forth in the wind, out of control). They headed for it and heard him yelling for help. As they pulled alongside Dad was just below the surface. There is a swift undercurrent in that area so the skipper tied a rope around his crew member (for HIS safety) in going in the water after Dad. By that time Dad had sunk out of site, not having communicated with them. It is assumed his sail got loose and that the boom must have knocked him overboard. The coast guard dragged the area for three days, but never recovered his body.
Dad was an only child (a baby girl had been born to my grandparents, but died shortly after birth).
Grandpa Wood lived in California and immediately came to be with us as they continued to drag the bay. Just as we were, he too was in shock. We could NOT BELIEVE it had really HAPPENED, but when we DID Grandpa felt he needed to return home. Nothing more could be done. He was not well himself and it was hard to see him leave. For a LONG time Mom and I continued to think he might have 'really' swum to shore and he would be found! as 18 at that time. It was March 26, 1944 that he drowned. On May 31st….he would have been 39! (Mom lived to be 72).
Family Members
Siblings
Children
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
