In the midst of rain, clouds, darkness, Stan Pocock (or maybe Neptune?) opened the skies for a glorious day for the de-naming of the Riverside and the Re-naming of the Stan Pocock.
Leading up to the ceremony was an advent calendar of Daily Stan-isms – Coaching and humorous stories from his book, Way Enough.
Heidi and Maile Danilchik (Lucy’s granddaughter and great granddaughter) -Note the Pocock logo on Maile’s sleeve.
We were fortunate to have many honored guests, including granddaughters (and great granddaughter) of the Pocock family, Katie Kusske (George) , Cindi Jones (Kathleen), and Heidi and Maile Danilchik (Lucy). Boys in the Boat Joe Rantz’s daughter Judy and Ray Willman surprised us with a visit. Also there were Pam and Guy Harper (UW stroke oar, class of ’54) who, as our club’s “godfather,” came bearing gifts - memorabilia and lots of good cheer. Stan’s widow Suzanne was out of town and sorely missed!
Judy Rantz Willman and Neptune (Jim Buckley)
But the guest of honor was King Neptune himself who was summoned to officially change the name on record in his deep sea Rolodex. That entails an involved process of anointing the bow with sacred waters from her former ports of call – UW’s Canoe House, Long Beach, California, the San Joaquin River, and now, Port Townsend Bay.
Anointing waters came from near and far
Great job President Peggy!
(Thank you Toni and Susi, our resident paparazzi)
See more photos of the day on the Rat Island Rowing Facebook album
Bet Stan felt good being back on the water!
We want to thank all who made this day possible, by cooking, sanding, floral arranging, gathering water, pouring water, driving, speaking, laughing, clapping, rowing, launching, taking pictures, being here, or just wishing you could be here. Those who knew him said Stan would have had a grand time. Those of us who never had the opportunity can only imagine him through the words of others, and through the words of the man himself.
Kathleen suggested summing up the ceremony with this passage from Way Enough that Stan wrote about his father, and most certainly applies to Stan:
Rowing and racing shells were the media in which he had worked, but Life, and how it might be lived to its fullest – was the lesson he strove to teach. I doubt that the world often sees the likes of him.
Stan Pocock (courtesy the Pocock Foundation)