With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
The Queen Mary’s commodore, who welcomed tourists aboard for over 40 years, has died
The Queen Mary commodor, Everette Hoard, looks on during an announcement about return of Dark Harbor to the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
(
Thomas R. Cordova
/
Long Beach Post
)
Everette Hoard, the Queen Mary’s commodore who worked aboard the iconic Long Beach ship for more than 40 years, has died, according to an announcement from the ship’s management.
As commodore, Hoard’s duties included writing the tours, mentoring the tour guides and even marrying hundreds of couples aboard the ocean liner permanently moored in Queensway Bay. He was an expert on the ship, even traveling to the Cunard archives at the University of Liverpool to deepen his research.
“Everette was the living embodiment of the Queen Mary’s spirit,” Steve Caloca, managing director of the Queen Mary, said in a statement. “His love for this ship, its legacy, and every person who stepped aboard was unmatched.”
Hoard’s first memories of the Queen Mary were as a child, when he would sit on his father’s lap and watch him draw pictures of ships, he told the Long Beach Post in 2023.
Support for LAist comes from
Hoard’s father, who had served in the Navy, “drew [ships] with two smokestacks and sometimes three,” Hoard said. “When it was three stacks it was the Queen Mary. If it was two it would be the Queen Elizabeth.”
“I was always in love with ships,” Hoard said.
He moved from Alabama to Long Beach in 1982. A short time later, he landed a job in the toy and hobby store aboard the Queen Mary.
Queen Mary Commodore Everette Hoard gives a tour of the historic ocean liner to the first guests aboard in two and a half years Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022.
(
Brandon Richardson.
/
Long Beach Post
)
He eventually worked his way up to retail director and in 2010 was asked by the managing director to become one of the ship’s officers.
“It was a dream come true for me,” Hoard said of the promotion.
Support for LAist comes from
The ship’s management has created a webpage honoring Hoard and inviting the public to share a message or a memory.
Queen Mary Commodore Everette Hoard gives a tour of the historic ocean liner after being closed to the public for over two and a half years. Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022.
(
Brandon Richardson
/
Long Beach Post
)
“We have not only lost a family member — we’ve lost a legend who will live on in our hearts and our souls,” Caloca said.
His cause of death and age weren’t immediately available.
Learn more about Hoard in the Long Beach Post's 2023 interview with him.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent. -
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump.
Best of LAist