by Madame Quixote 9 Replies latest social family
If I could have chosen a father, I would have chosen him, but he chose me instead. I am deeply saddened by the loss of this bright mind and generous spirit. Now he is free:
Donald Taube, b. 1942
Philosopher, boatwright, welder, teacher, friend, and so much more. He will be so greatly missed. He made a difference in many lives.
((((((Madame Quixote))))))
Philip
(((Madame Quixote)))
A good example of how if life deals you bad parents, you can still win.
Sorry to hear about your loss.
Blondie
(((((MQ)))))
Sorry for your loss. Cherrish the good memories!
Thank you for your comments and concern.
I have been profoundly blessed to have this man and his very beloved family in my life for many years. I have lived in their home as a renter (and as a periodic squatter of sorts (during bad financial times).
He never once judged us or demanded any more of us than we could offer. He was a truly kind person and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. He was a unique free spirit who had enormous stress and loss during the past few years, but who always maintained integrity and remained dignified, centered and true to himself and to all he knew.
I will return with his obit. It was very nicely done. The service held for him Thursday night was very comforting.
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Sorry to hear of your loss. He sounds like he would have been a fascinating man to talk with.
Leslie
yes, Leslie. Thank you. He was the person to call about any scientific, technical questions; he could always give explanations about how things worked if I made the mistake of wondering aloud.
If you wanted to win at "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" game, he was the one to call. He was truly a brilliant, empathic and very hard-working person.
He did the work he loved, as captain of The Pioneer at South Street Sea Port Museum in NYC:
Rig: Schooner
Material: Steel Hull, Iron Frames
Length: 102 ft. (overall)
Breadth: 22 ft.
Gross Tonnage: 47
Net Tonnage: 37
Draft:
4.5 ft. (w/centerboard up)
12 ft. (w/centerboard down)
Mast Height: 76.6 ft.
Sail Area: 2,737 sq. ft.
Auxiliary Engine: Diesel
Passenger Capacity: 35
Pioneer was originally built in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania in 1885 to carry sand mined near the mouth of the Delaware Bay to an iron foundry in Chester, Pennsylvania. She was re-rigged as a schooner ten years later when the sloop rig lost favor, primarily for economic reasons—the large single sail took more crew members to handle than the smaller sails of the two-masted rig. In the days before paved roads, schooners were the delivery trucks of their era, carrying various cargoes between coastal communities: lumber and stone from the islands of Maine, brick on the Hudson River, and oyster shell on the Chesapeake Bay.
Almost all American cargo sloops and schooners were wood, but because she was built in what was then this country's center of iron shipbuilding, Pioneer had wrought iron hull. She was the first of only two cargo sloops built of iron in this country, and is the only iron-hulled American merchant sailing vessel still in existence. By 1930, when new owners moved her from the Delaware River to Massachusetts, she had been fitted with an engine, and was no longer using sails.
In 1966 Russell Grinnell, Jr. of Gloucester, Massachusetts decided to rescue Pioneer, rebuild her hull with steel plating, restore the schooner rig, and use her in his dock building business. He unfortunately died in 1970 and that same year Pioneer was donated to the museum, where, manned by a crew of professionals and volunteers, she sails daily, taking the public on harbor tours. Pioneer is also for hire for corporate and private charters, and has a well-known education program for grades 4–12. Pioneer is fitted to accommodate the disabled.
You can participate first hand by joining the volunteer Pioneer Crew.
The site is part of a grant the Pioneer received for teacher resources. It includes: a live GPS track of Pioneer, teacher packet info and evaluations: http://www.saltwedge.org
Get Pioneer Track.
About his work last year on The Spirit Of South Carolina:
"Captain Tony Arrow, who will be the vessel’s master when The Spirit is launched next spring, is overseeing the construction. According to Capt. Arrow, these caulkers—Joe Chetwynd of Pembroke, Mass., Donald Taube of Wilmington, NC, and Chris Nelson from Westport, CT—are among a handful of shipbuilders in the country who really excel at this specific task. “Not only are these three very proficient at this work,” he says, “they’re quick as well.” Van Liew affirms that this particular bit of outsourcing will definitely pay for itself. “The people we’re using to caulk the ship have saved us 600 skilled shipwright hours.” "
http://www.charlestoncvb.com/tour/news_article.html?id=635
An image of him working on the Clearwater restoration:
Mr. Donald Taube, age 64, of Wilmington, died July 9, 2007, at his residence. 
