Eight Bells: Ward Cleaveland
February 11 - San Francisco Bay
This past Saturday, February 7, Ward Cleaveland,
born in 1908 in Montclair, NJ, passed away peacefully in his
sleep. Many sailors came to know Ward over the years, through
his involvement with the RBOC (Recreational Boaters of California;
Ward was its first President in 1968), the PICYA (Commodore 1968;
delegate for various Bay Area yacht clubs), the Californian
and the Nautical Heritage Society, and his support for local
programs such as Sail San Francisco and the Tall Ship Semester
for Girls. Ariane Paul of the Master Mariners Benevolent Society
writes, "He was both a charming character and an energetic
speaker, and was going strong right up through last year. I attended
both Ward's 90th and 94th birthday parties. At his 90th I was
knocked over by what a great bunch of people had gathered to
celebrate with him. We are in touch with Ward's son Peter who
says a memorial is being planned and may be held on March 20."
Cleaveland worked on ships on the Great
Lakes when he was young, but also worked as an actor, and as
sales manager for Time, Inc. magazines, which led to his becoming
a sales manager for SEA magazine on the West Coast in
1957.
He became a charter member of the Loch Lomond Yacht Club when
it was founded. Some of other awards and recognition he has received
over the years include:
San Francisco Navy League Annual Award, 1970
The Douglas Boswell 'Man of the Year' Award, 1978
The Charles A. Langlais Trophy, 1981
The Grand Marshall for the Opening Day on the Bay Parade, three
times
ASTA Award for Service to Sailing Education, 1999
In December 2003, the International Order
of the Blue Gavel awarded Cleaveland with a plaque that read:
"In appreciation for his lifetime dedication in advancing
the participation in, and enhancing the popularity of Recreational
Boating activities In the San Francisco Bay Area, Tall Ships,
PICYA, et al, and establishing and serving as the first Director
of the International Order of the Blue Gavel, District 14 1984-1986." |
